The Heart of the Aftermath
by Ravenwisker
Summary: Jon spares Rorschach and sends him to the year 2010. Night Owl II and Silk Spectre II are retiered, and teenagers are all that remain of the Watchmen. Cross between movie and comic-verse.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Watchmen charachters. **

Watchmen: Aftermath- Amanda

Night Owl knew _exactly_ where this was going. Across for him stood his partner, Rorschach, staring at the shiny blue (and nude) Dr. Manhattan. He couldn't be sure, but he guessed that under his mask, Rorschach was glaring with angry green eyes at the blue man.

"Do it."

His partner said, taking off his hat and holding it tightly. Night Owl always hoped Rorschach's insanity would never go this far, but now he knew it would come to an unhappy ending. Rorschach grew even more impatient.

"DO IT!"

He screamed, this time ripping off his ever-changing mask. Night Owl dared not look fearing for his friend's life, but did any way knowing that Rorschach deserved thatmuch. This was the last time he would ever see his partner again. Rorschach had dark short orange hair, a small cut above his right eye, and the other blackened from hisrun in with the cops. His lips were pulled back into a snarl green eyes blazing wildly at Dr. Manhattan.

"Rorschach," The blue man sighed.

"DAMN IT JON! DO IT!"

Rorschach yelled for the last time. Jon held up his hand, and with what appeared to be pity in his eyes, flexed his fingers.

"NOOOO!" Night Owl screamed, falling into the snow next to Archie. Rorschach was gone; all that remained was a mass of blood in an oval shape, left where he was standing. Trying to fight back tears, but failing, Night Owl looked for Jon to curse at him, the problem was, Jon had vanished.

Rorschach groaned as he floated through a white space. Grabbing his fedora, he placed it on his mask**-**less head. Looking around all he said was,

"Great.  
Fishing in the pocket of his long trench coat, he pulled out his mask. He studied it for awhile, nearly loosing it when he heard a voice calling his name. He shoved the mask back into his pocket**,**

"Who's there?"

He asked, looking around trying to find them. In front of him, Jon appeared in a flask of blue light. Rorschach sighed saying, "Dead too?" Jon shook simply his head and replied,

"You aren't dead. I'm transporting you to another time. One where you will be greatly needed."

Rorschach looked at Jon blankly for a while the mumbled,

"Hurm, whatever."  
It was almost as if he didn't care about his own fate.

"I'm leaving your planet, your universe in fact. This is the last time I will ever see you again. Good bye Rorschach."

During Dr. Manhattan's speech, he had replaced his mask, which was now starting to move normally. A blue light surrounded Rorschach, who waited casually with his arms crossed. The blue light vanished, leaving Rorschach in an alleyway, dark and disgusting, just like the one he thought he left. Not that far awayhe heard a woman struggling, instinct kicking in, went to check it out.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel's journal July 18, 1986

I've hung up my costume, for good this time. Rorschach is dead and Jon has left us. Laurie has moved in with me. In the first time in all the years I have known her, she seems happy. We have retired together, and I will soon be looking for a new hobby.

Daniel's journal November 7, 1992

Laurie is two months pregnant with my child. She seems upset with me. I hope every day that its just hormones. It has been five years since Rorschach's death. He does not have a grave, yet every year I leave a rose at one persons grave. His name is Walter Kovaks. There is no body there, just a grave stone. He disappeared and was assumed dead close to the same time Rorschach died. Any connection?

Daniel's journal December 1, 1992

I have decided to marry Laurie. I have bough her a diamond ring, the smallest they had, but diamond all the same. Rorschach would disapprove, but I don't care. There are things in my life I Will have to do without thinking about him. I will ask Laurie's hand on Christmas Eve.

Laurie's journal April 10, 1993

I am now Laurie Dreiberg. Daniel and I got married on March 30th. I am in the hospital, holding our son. His name is Jonathan Edward Dreiberg, to remind us of those we lost in the golden days. To this day, I still miss Jon, but Daniel has made me happy, and I will never leave his side.

Daniel's journal Febuary 22, 2000

Jonathan is getting more curious. I have had to permanently lock the basement door. I do not want him following in my footsteps. Ozymandias is the only Watchmen that would dare put his costume on anymore. The Watchmen are dead.

Jonathan's journal April 16, 2008

My girlfriend, Suzie Marks, has left me. She says she dreams of bigger things. I don't understand what she means. Dad gets jumpy whenever I so much as lay a hand on the basement doorknob. I have never been down there, and wonder if my father has either.

Jonathan's journal October 13, 2008

I have plans of changing my name to Troy Edward Dreiberg. Mom has been crying ever since I had announced it. I don't know why though, but dad says its too personal for mom to explain. Whatever. I have found dad's key to the basement. In three days, he and mom will be going on a weekend vacation, leaving me alone for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will find out what skeletons dad is keeping hidden from me.

Jonathan's journal October 17, 2008

Did not go into basement yet. Only watched T.V. It reminded me of all the drugs, sex, and murder that fills just the street of Manhattan. I will go down into the basement tomorrow. Mom and dad will be getting home late, giving me plenty of time.

Jonathan's journal October 18, 2008

I have gone into the basement. I turned on a single light, illuminating a desk with a computer and a stack of papers. The news papers were dated from 1972 to 1986. On the front pages are pictures of a man with a trench coat, fedora, and a black and white face mask. The caption called him Rorschach. Next to him stood a man with a headdress and costume giving him the appearance of a bird. The caption called him Night Owl II. More lights came on and I knew I was in for it. Dad came down the stairs with a look that was the combination of regret and relief. He said, "Son, its time you knew." Behind him stood mom, a worried look on her face as she whispered something into his ear. "Its fine." He mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear. "Son, turn around." As I did, mom laid her head on dad's shoulder and whispered something to him again. What I saw was amazing. There were two glass cases. One held the same costume as the Night Owl, the other contained a black and yellow out-fit with a plaque above it that read, 'Silk Spectre II.' I was shocked. I never would have guessed that my parents were two of the second generation Watchmen. Dad placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke softly. "I didn't want you to have the same fate as us. Retiring. Heroing is fun, sure, but the rewards are few, if there are any that is. In the end, you only wind up loosing most of your friends." Some how I knew he was talking about the other man in the picture with him. I looked past him and saw a very dusty pod like thing 'looking' back at me. Dad only sighed and said I needed to get to bed.

Troy's journal March 11, 2009

I have finally changed my name. Mom still hates it, I don't care. After much talk, Suzie, two of our other friends and I will be creating the next generation of Watchmen. We will be known as the Dusk Avengers. My name with be Phoenix, for I am rising from my fathers ashes to something great. He does not agree fully, but will go through with it. He has made me a costume, much like his, only orange and red rather than bronze.

The year is 2010. A water-fulled cab pulls into the 5 'o clock rush hour traffic in the busy streets of Manhattan. The cab driver sighed, turning to his passenger he apologizes. "No hurry." She kindly stated back. At six thirty, the cab driver finally pulled up to the woman's destination, fifty blocks from center city. She reached into her purse and pulled out fifty five dollars. driver only accepted 25, and apologized again for making her late, then drove off. It was dark already, and in the distance, police sirens wailed and screams began to fill the night air. The woman shivered and pulled her coat closer around her . Above, a billboard for Mal's Gentleman's club hovered overhead, no strings or tethers attached. Fossil fules were rarely ever used anymore, only for special projects like for NASA. if anything. Everything was either powered by solar, hydro-electric, or wind power now-a-days. The woman wanted to say how great the world had become, but knew much better. She was on her way to visit with two old friends and their son, who only lived a short distance away. She took of down an ally-way,unaware she was being watched. Ten or eleven gang members from the Bloody Eagle began to follow her. She became aware of them only when the stench of drugs flooded over her in waves. She was completely surrounded. "Well, well, well. What do we have here boys?" The leader of the gang said with a smirk as he pushed his way out of the crowd. Terror struck the woman like an arrow to the heart. His head was completely shaved, save for a two inch thick strip of foot long hair going all the way down his head. It was pulled up and gelled there into three spikes, the typical Mohawk. He wore a torn leather jacket, jeans, white and red shirt, and one hell of an attitude. He reached his hand out to the woman, a look of pure lust and pleasure in his eyes. "Don't touch me!" The woman screamed, hurling her purse at her attacker. "Goddamn it!" He screamed as blood poured from a gash above his left eye. He snarled at the woman as he held his wound. Pulling out a large knife with his free hand, he began to approach the woman again. Be fore he could get to close, a silver star whizzed through the air and embedded it-self deep in the mans skull. He sank to the ground and didn't get up. Gasps of horror rippled through the rest of the men as they watched their leader fall. From the sky, a man in a red and orange suit fell from the roof of a building, his fist making contact with the first gang member available. Behind him fell a girl, she wore a fox mask and leather out-fit. The Bloody Eagle gang stood no chance against them. Most ran, but several suffered sever wounds from blade cuts, throwing-stars, or the claws of the fox-faced girl. The brawl was over, the two masked vigilantes turned to the woman. The man spoke first, "Are you okay?" He asked, handing the woman her purse back. "Y...Yeah, thank you." She managed to get out, shock still gripped her. The girl spoke this time, "If you ever need us again, just give a shout for the Dusk Avengers." The woman couldn't believe it. Teenagers were the new Watchmen group she had heard about. "I..I will. Thanks again." She said, than hurried on to her destination as if nothing happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not own any of the Watchmen (Damn do I wish I did). However! All characters NOT in the GN or movie are mine (Ex: Silver Fox) Hope you enjoy it, sorry about the delay. Please R&R!**

* * *

Rorschach finally came to the all where the noise was coming from and spotted a thug. He was pinned up against a wall with two swords threatening to go through his neck. The owner of the swords was a girl, still quite young. Around her waist on a black belt on her leather pants hung a fake black and silver fox's tail that gracefully swept with her every movement.

Inching through the shadows, Rorschach got himself close enough to hear her mutter to the thug, "No one... Messes...With me!"

As she finished, she pressed her swords deeper into the mans throat, who was protesting to no avail, and blood poured from the gash, over the blades, and out of his mouth. Removing the blades, she stepped back, letting the mans dead limp body fall to the ground. She took a sharp metallic star from a black pouch on her waist and threw it at what was left of the man. It hit him in the chest, going deep, but shallow enough to show two Japanese characters.

Turning around, the girl looked Rorschach dead on and ever so slightly cocked her head, completely aware of his presence in the dark ally. "Hmm, never had an admirer before." She spoke softly but intimidating, looking out of her black and silver fox face mask with bright yellow eyes.

She stood straight, and then shifted her weight to her left foot, both of which were bare, sliding the Katana's in their sheaths on her belt and her hands on her hips. He hands were gloved, each finger with its own sharp metal 'claw' on the tip.

Rorschach was still cautious. After what he witnessed, the girl could simply be a loaded gun, aiming right at him. As if she could read his thoughts, the girl spoke with a smirk on her silver lips, "If you don't pose a threat, I might not kill you. Other than that, I can't make promises."

With that, Rorschach stepped from his hiding place, contemplating weather he should kill her himself of just break all of her limbs. As he moved into the slightly brighter light, he could see the whole of the girl better now. She wore a leather t-shirt, cut at just the right spot to show a strong set of abs as well as a gnarly scar going from her left breast to he right hip. Not only that, but a tattoo of the same characters as on the small star.

She stepped back, giving her enough room to evaluate him and enough time to move if he attacked her. She looked at his mask, trying to depict the face behind it. All she could see were the black inkblots, constantly moving and never melting with the white to form grey. There was no time for grey.

Rorschach reached his hand up and pressed his fedora farther onto his head; as if afraid he would loose it, then shoved the black-gloved hand back into his over-coat pocket. Underneath the over sized coat, he wore a purple pin-striped suit, but only from his knees down to his tattered black shoes could be seen if it.

"You're the great Rorschach aren't you? Heard a lot about you, and to be honest, thought you were dead. I'm one of the ones who took your place." She said with a smirk, again as if to intimidate him.

It almost worked, but Rorschach held back because she was just a young girl. "Hurm, what do you mean..." He trailed off as he sank to the ground, holding his head in his hand as an intense migraine swept over him. Now he knew why Laurie hated Jon's teleportation so much.

The girl silently stalked closer to Rorschach and crouched down. "Name's Silver Fox. I'm part of the Dusk Avengers, the new Watchmen."

Rorschach looked up at the girl and suppressed a disbelieving laugh. "You, a mask? Unlikely, probably true. How old are you?" He asked, knowing she wasn't any older than twenty at the most.

"Eighteen. I ain't the youngest, Hornet is. She's only fifteen. You probably want to see Night Owl, don't you? I can take you to him of you want." A smile spread across Silver Fox's face as she thought of giving Daniel two big scares in one night, her knowing the way into his lab, and his long lost partner still alive.

He looked up at her through his face, and reluctantly stated in a stone cold voice, "Fine, need guide to new city anyway." He forced himself up and staggered forward.

Silver Fox made a move to assist him, only to have her hand slapped away. "Don't need help." The vigilante grunted, attempting to steady his balance to prove it. She just sighed and took the lead, leading Rorschach through alleyway after filthy alleyway. Eventually, she came upon a large metal building. She slid her hand across the smooth wall until she came upon the indentation of a door. Locating a small metal button, she pressed it, causing the trick door to slide open.

"Follow me, and keep up." She said, and began running down the corridor and abruptly stopped at the end. The old subway platform was covered in useless junk and gadgets that were never used anymore. She turned back to Rorschach who had kept pace despite his migraine and whispered, "Stay here, I want to scare the shit out of Daniel before he sees you. An alarm went off when we came in, so he should be here soon."

Without waiting for a reply, she slinked off. Rorschach hated taking orders from someone so young, but he complied at the though of messing with Daniel as he used to do.

Keeping low to the ground, and not making any sound at all, Silver Fox prowled up to Archie. She peered into his glass 'eyes' studying the interior. She lifted her ears, straining to hear the soft click! from the doorknob connecting to the basement. She hopped up onto a nearby stack of papers, and lunged onto the roof of Archie.

Dan's frantic footsteps echoed through the great room as he hustled down the rotting wooden staircase. Silver Fox slinked over to the edge of the great metal pod, careful not to get into Dan's view. Age gnawed at the retired hero like a dog chewed on rawhide. His hair was graying and he seemed to gain even more weight.

She inched closer to the center of Archie as Daniel called out, "Alright, I know you're down here, come out!" He moved closer to Archie and gazed inside, as if whoever was down there was trapped inside. Still unaware that the intruder was practically on top of him, Dan began moving away to search another part of the lab.

Silver Fox took this as her opportunity. She sprang from the great metal pod and onto Dan's back, taking him to the ground screaming and flailing. She leaned in close to his ear and ever so delicately whispered, "You just got punked in your own home."

A look of shock crossed Daniel's face as his 'attacker' rolled off his back laughing. "Suzie?! Damnit Suzie, what the hell are you doing?" He asked while pushing himself off the ground, a look of anger and shock burdened his face.

Through the tears of joy and laughter, Suzie managed to get out, "Bringing you a surprise." She looked over to where Rorschach was standing. Dan followed her gaze, but still could not find his 'surprise.'

Rorschach stepped out from behind the wall and began to pace towards Dan, who's face was growing paler by the second. "Hello Daniel." He simply said, not wanting to bring up unneeded words of how much he missed him. Really because he didn't. Dan's jaw dropped as he held out his hand and poked his old partner in the arm, as if not convinced he was truly there.

Rorschach grabbed his arm and stopped himself just short of breaking it. "Personal boundaries. Obey them, arm stays intact." He grumbled, dropping the arm and shoving his hand back into his pockets. Tears began rolling down Dan's face as he reached out and hugged his former partner; completely ignoring all warnings he was given.

"Jesus, Rorschach, it really is you!" Dan cried before being shoved off. "Don't...Touch." Rorschach repeated in his stone cold voice. Regaining his pride and whipping away his tears of joy, Daniel suggested, "Why not come upstairs for something to eat? Suzie, you could crash here tonight if you need to."

She nodded and followed Dan and Rorschach up into the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: WHOOO! ITS DONE! Please exuse the EXTREAMLY long wait for this chapter. I promise, it will be worth it ;D Anywho, I recently did some web research and found out that Silver Fox is a name used by Marvel. This is. however, not her. She is my orriginal character. Got it? Good! Dan, Laurie, and Rorschach belong to Alan Moore, Suzie and Troy belong to me. Please R&R.

Much thanks,

~Amanda

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Rorschach emerged into the dimly lit kitchen, casually pulling up a chair and sitting at the table as if nothing had changed.

Suzie came from the basement door and immediately planted herself on the counter next to the sink. With bright yellow eyes, she again studied Rorschach's mask, attempting to depict the face beneath it. The black liquid just continued to push and pull away from the white, never coming together to form grey. The movement was slow and calming, and would have put her to sleep if it hadn't been for a voice, cold and gravely.

Rorschach shifted his head slightly towards Suzie and rasped, "Not polite to stare."

Snapping back into reality, the leather-clad girl looked away stammering, "S--Sorry, I just really like your mask..." She glanced back, an embarrassed blush turning her creamy, mocha-colored cheeks a cherry pink. Her attention turned to Dan as he reentered the room with the days edition of the "New York Times." He threw it on the table in front of Rorschach and muttered, "I think I'll go wake Laurie, she should know that Jon didn't really kill you." He turned his head towards Suzie and added, "Phoenix, Hornet, and Apparition are still out, did you let them know your coming in early?"

The Silver Fox took a small yellow and black phone from her pouch and pressed several buttons. After only a few seconds, it rung in reply. She giggled, pressing a few more buttons then placing the phone back in her bag. "Yup, Phoenix said he'll drop by on his round, maybe 10 minutes. He's coming in through the back."

Daniel nodded and began for the steps. Suzie removed her clawed gloves and placed them on the counter next to her. She moved her hands behind her head and swiftly untied a tightly bound knot below a bun of dark brown hair. She brought her fingers, nails painted silver, around the black and silver ears of her fox's mask. After a gentle tug, it slid off, she placed it on the gloves and preceded to let down her hair.

Rorschach had picked up the paper, but had not yet begun reading it. Instead, he closely watched Suzie, taking a mental note of the way she moved and her facial features. She wasn't the prettiest, but wasn't strange enough to be called ugly. _American,_ he decided, just another product of the great American Melting Pot. He turned his attention back to the paper, searching for the date and growling softly at the fact it wasn't the "New Frontiersmen." The date was in the top left corner above a headline saying something about a new breakthrough in home heating. The date was 5/14/2010. Jon said "another time," but why so far? What was the reason for his being hear in the first place? For a reason unexplained, the vigilant couldn't remember why Dr. Manhattan was going to kill him back in Karnak. Perhaps it was better that way.

As he reattached a conclusion in his thoughts, Laurie emerged into the kitchen, a sleepy look on her face, closely followed by Daniel. Suzie moved over, allowing Laurie to access the coffee pot if she wanted.

She smiled and greeted the young brunette, reaching into a cabinet above the coffee pot and pulling out a white mug. Laurie preceded to pour coffee and adding two sugars then mixing it well. When she finished, she turned around and, half awake, greeted Rorschach as if he hadn't really been missing for nearly 25 years. During a long sip of her hot beverage, Laurie's eyes shot open, focusing right on Rorschach. The mug slipped from her hands, shattering on contact with the floor and spreading its contents over the kitchen. A gasp escaped her lips as one hand clutched her silk nightgown just above her heart. The other rose until it was parallel with the floor, hand loosly balled and index finger pointing at Rorschach.

Rorschach watched Laurie with the slightest flicker of amusment in his eyes under the latex. "Y...Y... It can't be you. S... Saw the blood. You should be dead!" She wispered loudly, all the color draing from her face. In an attempt to comfort her while Dan was cleaning up the mug, Suzie brought her arms around the elder woman.

"Hello, Miss Juspeczyk. Should be dead but not. Jon's doing." Watching a nervous look cross Dan's face as he stood back up. He placed the coffee soaked towl in the sink and began adventuring closer to Laurie.

"Uh, Rorschach?" He began, he bit his lip and searched for the right words to say. "She's not a Juspeczyk anymore... She's, well, she's my wife." Suzie drew away from Laurie, allowing Daniel to hug his lover and attempt a smile for his former partner.

Instead of happy or even greatful for his only friend, Rorschach was disgusted. All the fears he had about his too soft partner since the Keene act in '77 had come true and gotte worse 10-fold. "Expected better Daniel." He rasped, turning to Suzie, he added, "At least daughter isn't as soft."

Suzie chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not their daughter. I wish, but I'm not. Phoenix is their son. His-."

As if on cue, an alarm sounded, cutting the girl off. It wasn't loud enough to wake the neighbors, but enough to wake even the deepest sleeper in the house.

The retiered Night Owl released his grip on Laurie and turned to his former partner. "Thats him now. Put the alarm in after the Dusk Avengers formed. Ther have their own hide-out, the Hanger, but I like to know when someone's dropping in." He began moving to the basement door, placing his hand on Suzies head and ruffling her hair.

She smiled and began putting it back into place, pulling it back into a pony-tail to keep it from her eyes. Daniel turned a small latch on the side of the door that he had locked after coming in and opened the door. From below, he could hear his son scuffeling around the Owl's Nest as if looking for something. "Were up here, leave your suit on if your going back out." He called, hearing the scuffling stop. He knew the Phoenix heard him even if he didn't hear a reply. Dan strained his eyes through his glasses into the darkness, barely being able to make out the outline of his son's hand-made costume at the bottem of the stairs.

"Come on up." He called, stepping out of the way and allowing his son to enter the kitchen.

Rorschach "hurm"ed as the Phoenix stepped into the kitchen. He looked just like his father in his prime, save a few key details. It was the same costume design, cowl, small cape attatched to the cowl, wink like body cape, and spandex shirt and pants along with a utility belt.

The phoenix looked from his father to Suzie, smiling upon seeing her, then to Rorschach. His deep brown eyes widened beneath his high-tech sunglasses, much like his father's goggles. Brinnging his left arm from his dark orange body-cape, he bushed back his dried blood red and gold cowl. His head was shaved save for two inches of footlong dirty blond hair streight down the middle of his head.

After studying Rorschach for a moment longer, the Phoenix asked, "Is this really him dad, the one in those old papers downstairs?"

Slowly Daniel nodded his head, still in a daze of wonder of how his former partner just, _appeared_ after 25 years. He shook his head, attempting to regain whatever scattered brain-cells he had left. He turned to Rorschach and said, "You must be hungry, can I get you something?"

Laurie began walking away, mumbling something about work in the morning. Suzie had poured herself a cup of coffee and was watching Rorschach like a hawk.

Glancing around the small kitchen, Rorschach simply grunted, "Beans."

Before his father could act, Phoenix spun around, his dusky orange cape whirling with him. He opened a cabinet next to the newly added stainless steal fridge and began parting the sea of canned goods on the first shelf. After a while, he pulled out a red and white can of Campbell's Baked Beans. He pulled back the easy-open tab on the lid, and turned the Silver Fox saying, "Could you get me a pan out-"

"Fine in can." Rorschach interrupted as the girl prepared herself to jump from the counter. She shrugged and pushed herself back . Taking a clean spoon from a rack next to the sink. She studied the utensil's shiny surface for a moment, like a curious animal before tossing it to her ex.

He Caught it and dropped it into the cylindrical container. Picking it up, he walked t over to the elder vigilant.

Ever so gently, Rorschach slid his hands between the latex of his "face" and the skin on his neck and began tugging upwards. He rolled ut up over his mouth and stopped on the bridge of his nose, showing pale freckled skin.

The second Night Owl watched the smaller man biting his lip un able to contain himself any longer. "Rorschach!" He blurted out, quickly covering his mouth and hoping his friend didn't notice.

Rorschach paused in his eating and with unseen eyes looked up at Dan. "What Daniel?" He asked, holding a spoonful of beans just above the can.

The larger man just shook his head and lied, "N-nothing important."

"Daniel, speak," Rorschach prodded, watching his partner shift with discomfort. Daniel shook his head, there was no way he was getting out of this now. "Its just that, well, I really want to know it's you, man. Not just someone who thinks they can be the next Rorschach. The only way I can really tell is if you take your mask off."

Phoenix shifted uneasily, as if he knew that the situation was about to get worse. He slipped his cowl back into place and announced, "I'm gunna go back out, Apparition and Hornet will be looking for me soon." He moved closer to Suzie and planted a kiss on her forehead. "See you later, babe."

She blushed as he pulled away, silently wishing that he was still her man. She sighed and waved good-bye as Dan shut the door behind his son.

Rorschach simply scoffed and continued eating. The only thing that had changed was the time, not his beliefs. Of coarse, he knew that Daniel had seen his "disguise," as he called it, but he still had an identity to protect. What ever that may have been.

Daniel sighed, giving up already and ribbed the bridge of his nose just above his glasses. "Well, I do remember where your apartment was, and if I'm correct, it was quarantined and torn down in '96. Not like you had anything left there though. Your going to need a place to stay, why not here?"

Rorschach paused again, and thought about this. Adrian wouldn't be to excited you see him, and he was **NOT **going to a homeless shelter. "Fine, will take guest room upstairs."

Dan sighed and shifted a bit uneasily. "That's not the guest room any more it's Troy, my son's room." Turning to Suzie he added, "Your not due back at the foster home until after school tomorrow since your 'staying with a friend. And its too early to go back out. Why don't you take Troy's room tonight? I don't think he'd mind."

The brunette covered her now hot pink, with embarrassment, nose and nodded. She pushed herself off the brown counter top and collected her things. She began down the hall and carefully picked her way up the steps, not wanting to wake Laurie.

Daniel watched after her then turned back to his friend. "I hope you don't mind, you'll have to use the couch." He reached across the table and took the now empty can and spoon.

Rorschach rolled his mask back down then stood, pushing the chair in behind him. "Fine, not first time." He grunted, beginning walking to the stairwell.

Daniels voice calling his name stopped him. He "hurm"ed in a questioning way, urging the taller man to continue. "Your going to have to take a shower and change if you're going to stay here. Believe it or not, I don't like it when my house smells like something died in it. And don't go all hard-ass about ths either, or I will kick it onto the street."

From beneath his mask, the smaller man scowled at his host, but obliged. The man was giving him a place to stay, just once would he abide to his rules. Besides, it was a battle he knew he couldn't win. He grunted in agreement then continued on up the stairs to the bathroom.

Dan took off after him and told him "Troy should have something about your size, I'll give you those to change into and pick up your old ones to wash them."

Again, Rorschach didn't like his former partners offers, but complied. He grunted once again. Upon arrival to the bathroom, he swiftly entered and shut the door behind him. When he made a move to lock the door, he noticed the old handle had been replaced, and the lock no longer existed.

He growled as his friends footsteps sounded from the hall as he walked past and into his sons room. The vigilant removed his hat, closely followed by his over-coat and gloves. He was left standing in his wife-beater and the pants they gave him at Sing-Sing.

Once again he checked the door, he would have to be on high alert for the sound of Daniel attempting to invade his privacy. Slowly, he hooked his fingers beneath his "face" and gently pulled upward. Once it was off, he ran his fingers through his dirty orange crop of hair.

Rorschach kept a tight on his face as he moved towards the white sink, still watching the door. Cautiously, he laid his mask on the counter and turned on the spigot. Cupping his hand beneath the water, he let them fill up before splashing the luke-warm water on his face.

Grabbing a towel from a small rack, the man wiped off his face. He looked up momentarily, his head shot up and stared directly at the image staring back at him in the mirror. He stumbled backwards, dropping the towel and bumping into the wall. He green eyes widened as he brought his hands to his "mask" as he insisted.

His chiseled features seemed almost filled in, and his cheekbones felt barely noticeable. His hand moved from his face to the mirror.

Rorschach looked as if he were eighteen again.


	5. Chapter 5

A/n : Yay! Chapter 5! Its a short one, and I'm sorry about that. I go on vacation tomorrow and I wanted to get this out before I left. The next one will be much linger, I promise!! Anywho, I fianlly came up with a plot(sorta)! Yes, I just wrote five chapters of a story on a whim. GO ME!! Please R&R, I love you all watchers and reviewers!!

~Amanda Ravenwisker

Daniel slowly pushed himself up and placed the wife-beater and sleeping boxers on his son's bed where Suzie comfortably sat. She was fidgeting with an Ipod classic, hunting down the shuffle option.

She found it and activated it, setting it on the silver Ihome no the nightstand next to the bed. Before it could begin playing, the sound of a thump from the other room reverberated thorough the small bedroom.

Daniel sighed and collected the clothing as "Teenagers" began playing from the small device. He exited the room, creeping slowly down the hall of the flat to the bathroom, laying his hand gingerly on the brass knob.

_They gonna' clean up your looks with all the lies in the books to make a citizen outa you._

He turned slowly; knowing whatever he saw could very possibly be the last thing he ever did. He pushed gently, poking his head through the door. He was somewhat shocked at what he found. Rorschach didn't have his mask on and there was something different about his over-all appearance.

_Because they sleep with a gun, and keep an eye on you son, so they can watch all the things you do!_

"Rorscha--" Before the name could even completely escape his lips; Daniel was assaulted with a force showing no mercy. A hand throttled his throat, slamming him into the wall.

_Because the drugs never work! They gonna' give you a smirk, 'cause they got methods of keepin' you clean!_

Dan clawed at his partners' hand, gasping painfully for breath as he studied his assailant's face. A great difference from the hard-assed sobbing ginger's he saw last in Karnack.

_They gonna' rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds, another cog in the murder machine!_

"Rorschach..." He whispered, dark clouds welling in his eyes. In reply, the hand around his neck tightened then dropped him completely.

_They say all teenagers scare, the living shit outa me! They could care less as long as some one'll bleed. So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose, maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me!_

Daniel drew himself to a crouch, massaging his swollen neck. Rorschach swiftly moved back to the counter, ripping his face back into place. As Daniel picked himself up, he was shoved back into the wall, the smaller yet stronger man holding his arms in place at his sides.

_The boys and girls in the clique, The awful names at the stick, ya' never gonna' fit in much kid!_

"Risky move, coming in. Why?" Rang the vigilante's guttural voice, watching his partner through unseen eyes.

_But if you're troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did!_

"I-I heard a crash, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright! Besides, I had to bring you these clothes." Rorschach eyed the small pile of clothes that Dan had dropped on his way in.

_They say all teenagers scare, the living shit outa me! They could care less as long as some one'll bleed. So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose, maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me!_

Rorschach "hurm"ed as the song chorus repeated again. He let go of Daniel and stepped back. "Out." He rasped. The next song began to play as Dan gathered himself. It was his and his son's favorite song, "Your My Thrill" by Billie Holiday. He took one last look at his friend before leaving and shutting the door behind him. The music continued to play, and Rorschach could just barely hear it from the other room. He waited a while longer to ensure that Daniel would not attempt to intrude again.

_You're my thrill, you do something to me. You send chills right through me._

Cautiously, he began stripping from his clothes again. He checked the door every so often, keeping his ears alert for the feint click of the knob.

_When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill!_

He was down to just the freckles that spattered his body like drips of paint. Rorschach opened a small towel closet, pulling out a white towel to dry himself when he finished.

_You're my thrill! How my pulse increases, I just go to pieces, when I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill!_

He placed it on top of the small pile of clothes that Daniel had brought him and opened the tinted glass door to the walk-in shower, closing the door behind him. He studied the water-proof membrane of the circuit board that controlled the shower.

_Nothen' seems to matter!_

The short man pressed the 'on' button gently. He slightly jumped when the cold water began flowing from the shower head and onto his back.

_Here's my heart on a silver platter! Where's my will? Why this strange desire, that keeps moaning higher? When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill!_

Rorschach quickly pressed a small button that read 'Temp up' several times. Slowly, the water became warmer then a comfortable hot. He eased back into the water, letting it cascade over his body. He picked up a green bottle labeled "Irish springs" and began washing himself with the contents. The chorus of the song repeated again then stopped, the sound of the water hitting the base of the shower was all that could be heard. The door to the adjacent room squeaked open, and the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall of the flat. Rorschach stood ridged until he was positive that the girl was no longer close enough to intrude. He allowed himself to relax and continue washing himself.

He scrubbed his fiery orange crop of hair, rinsing the grime and grease away. The water that emptied to the drain was clouded with dirt and blood from months of build up.

_Not surprised,_ He thought_, No shower in almost 26 years._

_~*~*~_

As he emerged from the steamy shower, Rorschach grabbed the towel, beginning to dry his damp hair. The shower had left him smelling fresh, no longer like the cheap cologne that he would usually buy to cover the smell of the scum he defeated every night.

The vigilante changed into the clothes that surprisingly fit well. He slipped the latex mask over his face, the pools of black ink dancing quickly over his heated face. He knew that Daniel and Laurie were sleeping, but he couldn't say the same for the girl. He couldn't recall hearing her return from the lower level of the flat, so he would have to be on his toes.

Slowly, he opened the bathroom door, looking both up and down the hall, wary of the girls' presence somewhere close. The ginger moved swiftly yet quietly down the hall and stairs. He noticed the kitchen light was on, but Suzie was still no where to be found. He continued on into the living room, closing and locking the door behind him. He was alone in the room, save for several owls watching him from their perch on the shelves on the walls.

The sofa had been prepared somehow with a pillow and a thick green comforter. He moved towards it, crawling under the blanket and securing his head atop the pillow. Immediately, darkness welled in his eyes, grasping him, and pulling him down into the deep abyss of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: This was SUCH a bitch to write! Glad i got it dont though... Anywho, this is a plot/filler chapter, so if you get board with it, I'm sorry. BUT I PROMISE! The next chapter will be much better. ;D Please R,R,&E! (Read, review, and enjoy)

I don't own Watchmen, Ipod, or any other things other than my own characters.

* * *

Rain trickled from the sky the next day, leaving the whole of New York City dark and grey. Troy particularly liked rainy days; they gave the city a fresh start, though it didn't help with the crime. He walked down the quiet sidewalk, holding out his hand and letting the water pool in his palm.

The water never stung his hand or left them red. He hap only ever heard rumors of what was called 'acid rain,' that damaged skin, hair, and most metals.

A grey cat sat at the base of one of the flats along the sidewalk, trying her best to keep dry. She was a neighborhood stray, and had been for a while now. Troy had nick-named her Koginneko, or Little Silver Cat in Japanese.

She was a fierce cat, but gentle with those who cared for her. Troy stopped by her, pulling out on of his wireless ear-buds. He kneeled down and held out his hand, smiling as the she-cat rubbed up against him affectionately.

He stood back up, replacing the ear-bud and shifting his backpack as he continued his walk home. On the inside of his glasses, prescription aviator sunglasses, a small 'mail' image appeared. 'View.' He thought, causing the message to open. It was a reminder, that Suzie's match war that night at 8 pm. It would be a late star for Phoenix, but he knew it would be worth it.

A Troy approached his flat, he fingered off the Ipod in his pocket. He jumped over the first three steps on the stoop and placed his hand on the rectangular membrane on the side of the wall. It turned green at the same time as a 'click!' came from inside of the door. The boy turned the knob and pushed the door open, quietly shutting it behind him. He dropped his bag on the stairs, a reminder to himself to take it up later. He continued down the hall, pushing open the kitchen door. 'Time.' He thought, and instantly the time and date in New York, Texas, and Las Vegas appeared in the glasses. It was 2:40 pm on Friday, May 15th 2010 in New York. "Food time." he mumbled, opening the cabinet above the small TV that rested on the counter.

The young man pulled out a bag of pretzels, pouring some into his hand then replacing the bag. As he munched on a pretzel, he pulled the ear-buds from his ears and Ipod from his pocket, placing them on the table. Troy popped the last of his salty snack into his mouth, wiping the crumbs onto his Under Armor sleeveless shirt.

Troy pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sat down, leaning back and causing it to creak. He grabbed the remote off the table and pressed the on button. The TV flashed on displaying a commercial for a new car. It flashed off then displayed a woman and a man sitting behind a large desk. The woman spoke while the man ran through some papers.

"Welcome back to Manhattan Today! Two weeks ago, multiple offence criminal, Maxwell Alexander, was brought into custody by vigilante Silver Fox, alias unknown-."

"Not to me." Troy mumbled.

"-He was held at the police station until his court hearing. In which he was found guilty of position and use of heroin, attempted murder, and attempted grand theft auto. His sentence was death. During his escort to the prison where his sentence would be carried out, Alexander managed to escape. Last night, around 2:30 am, his body was found.

From his chest, the cities coroner pulled a silver throwing star bearing the mark of the Silver Fox."

"Ah, shit!" Troy growled, leaning forward to listen better.

"This is the first death of a criminal due to vigilantism since the notorious criminal, **Rorschach.** We spoke with former president and overseer of all issues involving vigilantism in New York and retired vigilante, Adrian Veidt."

Troy let out a sigh of relief as the man appeared on screen. His once yellow hair was beginning to fade grey and age was eating desperately away at him.

He spoke, "The police should not attempt to apprehend Silver Fox. She has done nothing wrong. If I am correct, she attended the court heating of Mr. Alexander. That means she was present at the time the judge gave him his sentence. By my standards, she was making sure that sentence was carried out and she saved the legal system one step. If for whatever reason the city arrests her, I will do everything in my power to see that she is found innocent." The picture flashed back to the desk where the man spoke this time. "We'll have more on that tonight at 11. Up next, insiders look at Stephen King's new book! More aft-"

Troy switched the TV off and stood up out of his chair. 'That inbox won't clean itself.' He thought bitterly, knowing that his friends probably sent him a pile of spam and crap by now.

He pushed open the kitchen door and began down the hall, stopping abruptly in front of the livingroom door. Just barely, he could hear a raspy, deep breathing. From what they had told him, his parents were visiting Adrian and wouldn't be home 'til three, so it wasn't them. Suzie was at work and her sister Katie was still at softball practice.

Quietly, he turned the knob. It made a small click, but whoever was inside heard it too. Troy pushed the door, trying his best to stop the person where they were, but the door was blocked. He stepped back and prepared to kick the door in. A he began lifting his leg to the door it opened and in a blur of white he was pinned to the wall.

Troy clawed at the hand around his neck staring at the black and white mask that belonged to his assaulter. 'He doesn't know who I am!' He thought. He moved his hand to his glasses pulling them off and dropping them. "Rorschach! It's me, Phoenix. Let me go!" He coughed.

When he was dropped, his fingers shot instinctively to his neck, there were still indentations there. "Apologies did not recognize you before. Have your fathers brown eyes." he stepped back, allowing Troy to put his glasses back on and stand up. "Its fine man. I wake up and leave before my dad and come home before he does so there's no way he could have told me about you hanging here for the night." Troy wheezed, stealing a glance at Rorschach.

He admired the older mans' physique. It was much like his own; well muscled. Save for scars and bruises galore. Freckles speckled his arms, trailing up and onto his shirt.

"Where is Daniel?" Rorschach questioned, startling the boy. "Uh, with an old friend, Mr. Veidt." He replied.

"Hmm, still in connection with Ozymandais. Don't have best feelings about him." Rorschach growled, pushing into the kitchen.

The boy followed after him, shaking his head. "I can't say the same; the man did give me my freedom."

Rorschach scoffed as he kneeled down and opened one of the cabinets. "Freedom, of what?" He asked, picking out a can of beans. "Freedom to put on a mask and protect my friends and family." Troy barked, sitting back down at the table.

The masked man slammed the can down on the counter, searching for a can opener. "Imposable, masks outlawed in '77. Veidt couldn't do anything to change that." He remarked.

Troy just chuckled. "That's where you're wrong. Adrian became president in 2005, when crime rates were at their highest. Police in New York were in short supply because going out on the streets was like a death wish. Part of Adrian's campaign was to bring crime to a screaming halt in all major cities across the U.S.A. He didn't specify how publicly, but he did discuss it with many Congressmen. Many debates were held and finally they passed a law that outlawed the Keene act until the crime problems were resolved.

"There was a catch, however. If you weren't a governmentally sponsored vigilante, Batman for instance is with the government, you had to operate through the vigilantism supervisor of that city. For us, that's Adrian. This meant that you had to report all findings, murders, and injuries to him within twelve hours of whatever it was happening. Suzie's stars allow the police to know that whatever happened was her doing and not some gang problem. The police simply collect the details and send them to the Man.

The rest of us use com-links to communicate with Adrian, not to mention each other."

When he finished, Rorschach had already plowed through the can of beans, eating very noisily. "Hurm," He grunted through spoonfuls, "Still don't like idea of working for Veidt."

"Not for him, thru him," Troy corrected, "But I must say it is cool having an action figure of me and my friends. I have one of you too." Rorschach snorted and threw his spoon in the sink and can in the trash. He rolled his mask back down.

The clock in the hall chimed, letting all who listened know that it was three o'clock. At about the same time the front door swung open letting in a very wet Daniel and Laurie. She came into the kitchen, leaving her husband to hang their coats in the hall.

"Hey sweetheart, how was school?" She asked placing a small black bag onto the counter. "Fine." Troy murmured, flinching when his mother attempted a kiss. "You should shower and change before Suzie's match tonight." She said, looking over to Rorschach. "Adrian gives his regards." She muttered.

Rorschach snorted as his former partner pushed his way through the door. "Oh, you're awake. Good to see you didn't run off… Yet." He chuckled. "Hey, why don't you come with us to Suzie's match? It'll give you a chance to se 'how she rolls.'" He let out a laugh at the joke he made. "Uh, anyway, what do you say?"

Rorschach shook his head. "Don't want to be seen without mask in public with you. Could be dangerous. No thanks Daniel." He pushed up out of his chair and went back to the living room. Lying down on the couch he thought, 'Would be nice to go though.' Perhaps he would go, just without the Dreibergs.

~X~

When the Dreibergs left the house later that evening, they assumed that Rorschach was sleeping. He was far from it though.

The man slid out of the window to the fire escape from the second floor, He slid down the steps, his open trench coat flapping as the air rushed past him. It took him a few precious minutes, but he had finally found the laundry room and only had time to throw on his wife-beater, blue prison pants, and trench coat.

It was about 7:45, but the sun had already set and the streets had grown dark. He jumped the last flight of stairs, landing in a puddle of rain water from that afternoons shower. A passing car illuminated the ally, causing Rorschach to cover his unmasked face with his left arm. He regretted leaving the flat without his face on but he knew he would be to easily spot with it. He stowed it away in his pocket just in case, though.

He sprinted from the ally and turned right, catching site of the three he was following as they crossed the street to the left. He ran harder, slowing down only when he was a good hundred feet behind them. He followed them for several twists and turns through the city streets until they came to 7th avenue and 40th street, a place Rorschach knew well.

Ahead was what used to be the Utopia Theater, witch now had a big billboard on top that changed every so often. First, it read: "Utopia Skating Rink." Then it changed, displaying in bright colors: "TONIGHT ONLY! Our girls, the Black Rose City Roller Girls vs. Gotham's Princesses!" The Dreibergs now stood at the door which was blocked by a rather large bouncer, Laurie and troy entered, but Dan continued talking to the man. For a second, Rorschach could have sworn that the former Night Owl looked right at him. The older man shook the bouncers hand then continued inside.

Rorschach ran down the sidewalk, quickly crossing 40th street. He slowed down and did his best to walk up to the big man calmly.

The bouncer looked up from his clip-board and raised his eyebrows at the ginger teenager who walked up to him. 'That was quick.' he thought. "Hey, kid. Your with Troy and his folks, right? His dad said that you was runnin' late and gave me your name to check you in. If you can verify it, I'll let ya' enter."

Rorschach scowled to himself, he would have to remember to punch Daniel for giving away his real name. He looked at the man. "Name's Walter."

The bouncer nodded, "Yup, you fit the description and ya' got the name right. Go on in." He motioned with his hand to the door.

Walter mumbled something of thanks to the guy and pushed the door open. Instantly he was hit with a wall of moderately loud rock music he couldn'e even hear the words to. 'Did this why again?' He thought, beginning his search for an untaken seat to watch the roller derby, that night, known as "War of the Wheels."


	7. Chapter 7

A/n~ YES! There was a name change. What do you think?

PLEASE don't kill me! So much stuff has been going on that it took me forever to write this and post it. Big thanks to A. Fox, who is collaborating with me on a plot right now. Anywho, the plot officialy begins in this chapter so please read & review! They brighten up my ever so boring inbox. :)

Thanks to all who already reviewed, if I listed you all I would run out of room.

* * *

The small indoor stadium was filled with noise as the music's baseline thumped and the people clapped and cheered. The wooden track in the center was bare save for the two referees in black and white stripes. They skated around with push brooms, ensuring that the track was clean and debris free.

It took a while, but Walter finally found a wooden stand that still had empty seats and a somewhat good view. He climbed up, paying no attention to his surroundings. The ginger sat in the top of the stands in the left-most corner, gazing out over the crowd to the entrance to the locker rooms, where all eyes seemed to have drifted now. The louder music died down and an announcer began the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a warm welcome to the Gotham Roller girls!" The opposing bleachers erupted into applause as the team rolled out. They were clad in a variety of outfits, some in tutus, leggings and short-sleeved shirts along with other things. Walter scanned the faces but didn't spot Suzie.

The team met in the middle of the track, putting on helmets with different colors and shapes on them. Walter jumped as someone sat down next to him; looking to see who had invaded his space he noticed it was Dan. A growl escaped the depths of his throat as he began to stand up to leave, but a firm hand on his shoulder kept him from going far. "Just stay here and listen." Daniel said, glaring at his now younger partner.

Walter glared back, but obliged and sat back down, turning his head away from the bigger man. The brunet sighed, though he was still glad that he got the redhead to stay. "Now listen, none of this bull shit that you don't want me or my family or anyone for that matter to see your true face. They showed it on the news the night you were caught, Laurie and I saw you without it that night at the prison, and it was in the paper the next day. We kept that picture and Troy and the rest of the 'team' has seen it too." He quieted his voice for the next bit. "The Avengers even have a copy of the New Frontiersman that had the first half of an entry containing your journal. After you 'died' Adrian ordered that all news papers send him a copy before it was released. When he saw the first half of your journal, he confiscated it and insisted to the publisher that it was entirely fiction, however he couldn't publish it. Adrian's not to happy with you."

Walter hadn't been paying attention to most of Dan's speech, but looked back to the ring as the opposing team turned into the center of the ring. The announcer had picked up the microphone and had started speaking again. "And now for the home team, the Black Rose City Bashers!" The crowd on Walters went wild as the girls rocketed out of the room. He noticed Suzie waving to them from the back of the pack of girls, and looked away.

This was the first night she would be starting out as the jammer for her team and she was incredibly happy. The pack made a glory lap before turning into the center of the ring.

The announcer started again. Walter could see him now, standing in the center of the ring with a ref's shirt on.

"And now for the starters. The blockers for the Gotham Roller Girls in the first half will be Cynder Blocker, Jean Slay, and Tara A. Part." The skaters received bursts of applause when their names were called, and took their place out on the ring. "Their pivot will be Ghost Roller and their jammer will be Night Prowl!"

Dan smiled at the jammer's name as she took her place behind the pack.

"And tonight, from the home team:" The announcer continued, "Blocking will be Eve O' Lution, Will Crusher, and Darth Molly. Our starter pivot will be Bitch Doctor and our jammer will be Vixen To Hurtcha'!"

Dan clapped and whistled as Suzie took her place next to the other jammer.

~X~

Suzie reached down and tightened her laces, the reason she was injured the last match. The white skates had been polished and the orange wheels had been shined. She looked up to the stands, looking back to Dan and the odd man sitting next to him. As the curious girl she was, she made a note to find out who he was.

The referee called to her and the other girl, a Knot-Top who Suzie didn't directly recognize. "Ready!" She called back, Night Prowl echoing.

The ref blew his whistle, sending the group of girls ahead of Suzie rolling. She got herself set, the bumper of her skate resting on the ground for push-off. The last skater, one of Gotham's named Cynder Blocker, passed the start line the whistle sounded again. Suzie took off, her arms swaying with each 'step' she took. She closed in on the pack as the score-board in the corner displayed how much time was left in the Jam: 1:54. The unmasked vigilante pushed her way into the pack of blockers, some moving aside for her and others trying to push her back. She pushed from the pack, passing the pivots. She was too late, however, to clam the title of lead for this round, as Night Prowl was already ahead of her.

The announcer was blathering on about Night Prowl as Suzie quickened her pace and passed the slower girl. She plowed into the pack again, taking a shoulder blow to the left arm as she pushed her way through. Again she made it out, scoring four points.

The score was tied when the two girls made it back to the pack. The other girl made it through, but Suzie still had the pivot to pass. The ref's whistle sounded again, however, and she looked up. Night prowl had her hands on her hips, stopping the Jam. She let out a soft growl and let herself fall back next to the other jammer.

Night Prowl quickened her pace, bringing her right behind the pack. She ignored the refs warning from one of the refs and shoved the girl from the Black Rose team in front of her. "That's for the elbow to the face, bitch!" She growled, drawing gasps from the crowd as the blocker fell to the ground and screamed upon impact with her unpadded elbow. One of the refs skated over, taking hold of Night Prowl, but she freed herself by delivering a right hook to his jaw.

At that moment, two gunshots rang through the air, and the stadium erupted into chaos. Another shot brought it back to relative silence. Most everyone was covering their heads now, and stared in horror at the firer. Walter attempted to stand, but was held down by Dan. The shooter, a girl of about twenty one, walked to the center of the ring, gun held high above her head. The sound of a silent shock rang through the rink as the Knot-Tops around her swarmed over the players. Some of the girls shrieked in horror as they were put into choke holds.

Suzie played dumb and innocent, knowing there wasn't anything she could do at the time. Night Prowl was the only girl unrestrained, and she was talking to the girl with the gun. The skater took off her helmet, the two women having identical hair. Night Prowl turned to the rest of the crowd, the two of them looking almost identical; save for the one with the gun was a bit taller and had a nose ring.

She wore nothing to protect her identity, the cops never found her before, fat chance they could find her now. "Listen," She began her voice casual but slightly playful, "I realize that this may seem trivial, but my informant gives me reason to believe that the parson I am looking for is here. You may know of her, the Silver Fox? Give yourself up if you are here, or we'll kill all of the skaters. Oh, and don't try to call the police," The man next to her held up a small electronic device. "We've jammed the cell signals." She finished, a smile playing across her face.

'Shit!' Suzie thought, sweat running down the back of her neck. She had brought her Silver Fox outfit with, but even if she did break free of the Knot-Tops grip, it would take her two long to change.

Back in the stands, Rorschach had shrugged out of Dan's grip and lowering himself over the edge of the bleacher. He was now directly behind the woman with the gun. As silently as he possibly could, he made a dash up to her, throing his arms around her torso and taking her to the ground, causing her to fire a shot at the celing as they hit the ground. The girl screamed, and the gun was knocked from her hands, causing it to slide beneath the bleachers.

Suzie seized the opportunity, biting down hard on the Knot-Tops arm. He made a pained noise, and let her go as blood ran down his arm. She spit the blood and horrid taste from her mouth before delivering a kick to the man's groin. He groaned and doubled over, most likely not going to get back up. She looked to the other girls, signaling slightly with her head to the Knot-Top who previously held her. They got the message and began kicking and elbowing their ways free.

Whispers began to ripple through the crowd as the redhead got up from the girl. Tears streamed down her face, as the fall with him on top of her caused her to fracture a rib. Rorschach had assumed she was immobilized and moved on to her body guards. He threw an uppercut to the taller mans jaw, then took his elbow and dislocated it in a swift move.

The first bodyguard toppled, cradling his arm as Walter moved on to the next man. Suzie had told the girls to get to the locker room and stay safe. She was going to take down Night Prowl, but she was gone, carrying her sister off in the bride's carry out the back door, She left them go, figuring they were on their way to a hospital anyway.

Cheers and applause began to fill the stadium as the last Knot-Top fell to the floor, blood pouring from his nose.

~X~

Later, deep within the warehouse district of Manhattan, a small meeting was being held. Within the small office sat several people, Katie couldn't be sure how many though. The room was illuminated by a single light, showing the dark wood finish of the round table they sat at and the hands of her employer.

"Well, well, well, Kt-28. What brings you all the way over here? Injured, no less. Have you captured one of them?" He asked, his voice raspy with age.

She lowered her head, examining the gauze wrapped tightly around her shirted torso. "No Underboss, I'm afraid not." Her head shot up when the click of a pistol being loaded echoed in the room.

"Then you're wasting my time! What do you want?" He shouted, coughing slightly before sitting back down.

"I may have found someone of interest to you. A redhead, about five feet seven inches tall, fight first asks questions later. I noticed something hanging out of his pocket a little. It was a white cloth with a moving black smudge on it."

Murmurs arose from the few people at the table.

"He lives? That's impossible!"

"Does he have children that would look like him?"

"Rorschach, have kids? When hell freezes over!"

"Then why is his hair still red? Age should have caught up with him by now."

The Underboss snapped his fingers and the room went silent again. "His being here could affect my plans. We'll have to take care of him and the rest of the vigilantes. Thank you for your information, Katie."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n~ 31 reviews! You people are amazing, gust though I'd let you know that. Anywho, I kept pushing myself to get this out even though I was sick and school sucks and you get the picture. Also, I just want to apologize ahead of time for the crappy ending. T.T As always, I don't own Watchmen or any of its characters, but I DO own my characters. Please read, enjoy and review~**

**!!Warning for drug references!!**

**Raven**

* * *

**~Earlier that week~**

The old warehouse was poorly lit, illuminated by a single overhead light every here and there. Only a few people ever came to it, none of them workers. This particular night was one of the most important meetings here, and none of them knew exactly what was going to go down.

Within the warehouse was a small office, used by its former owners to talk with employees or discuss matters with clients. Now, however, it was the meeting place of Manhattans vermin. In the office sat only four people, three men and a woman. The woman sat up straight, and held herself confidently. She didn't get here by just looking beautiful, she earned her place, and Katie didn't want the others to forget that. The two boys that sat on either side of her looked to be about her age, somewhere between twenty and twenty-five. In front of them sat the focus of their meeting tonight, the Underboss.

He coughed, leaning forward from his chair and onto the table. Katie could see his features better now, he was almost completely bald, but for is increasingly old age, he looked to be only about 70, but Katie knew that was far from his true age.

"As you know," He began, folding his hands in front of him, "I have cheated death in many instances. But now I fear that my time is coming to a close…" Trailing off he looked at each of the younger people before him. "Each of have been doing very well in your areas of expertise, and I know that you'll keep the cops off your backs for much longer than I did. I know that I'd be leaving things in good hands, so to speak."

The boy to Katie's left snorted, leaning forward onto the table. "Boss, you couldn't be more right."

Katie could feel the Underboss's glare penetrating through the soon-to-be unfortunate boy sitting next to her. "You dumbass, don't ever insult someone who could kill you just by pointing at you!" She hissed, looking back to the man across from her.

"It's true, Nate, you should have more respect for your elders." He coughed again, as if to prove his point.

"Please excuse my partner's stupidity. The thing is we have something that would be quite useful to you, sir." The boy on Katie's right said, running his hand through his black hair. "One thing you don't know about Nate and I is that, well," He hesitated.

"It's okay Nick, take your time. It's not like I'm dying or anything." The underboss growled, growing impatient.

Nate cut in, narrowing his blue eyes, "We aren't in our twenties like we told you. Our fathers were great accomplices of yours."

Underboss scoffed, arching an eyebrow. "You're shitting me, right? You have no idea how many people have told me that just to get free shit and services they didn't earn."

"This is no joke; my father was Jimmy the Gimmick. That bastard the Comedian killed him…" Nate scowled, looking to the side. "I never knew him, but I heard what he did. He was a good figure for someone like me."

The Underboss looked at Nick. "And you? How was your father an accomplice to me?" He asked, becoming more amused every second.

"Big Figure was my father." Nick said with a look of pride on his face. Katie couldn't help but smile a little. Nick scowled, "Look, just because he was a midget doesn't mean that his son would have to be too! My mother was normal height, I get it from her."

The Underboss waited for the boys to settle down before speaking. "Now, I know who Katie's father was, but this is news to me. If you were their sons, you each would need to be in your forties. How the hell can you look like you do if you're in your forties?"

Nate pulled a syringe with a dark blue liquid. "Drugs these days just keep getting' better." He mused, inspecting the liquid. "This is how we've been keeping our age."

Underboss laughed. "You're telling me, Botox has been keeping you like that? Ha!"

Nick sighed, reaching across Katie and snatching the syringe. "It's not Botox. This is high quality stuff, and very expensive. It makes you young then keeps you there."

The Underboss scoffed. "Prove it."

Nick looked to Nate who shrugged. Nick shoved the syringe into his arm and grimaced a little as he pressed the blue liquid into his arm. "In two days time, my voice will be cracking and my face will be covered with acne."

"Right, thank you yet again for waiting my time. Katie, have you got anything to say about this?" he asked, turning his attention to the girl.

She shook her head and raised her eyebrows after looking at Nick. "I've heard a little about it. They call it 'Water of life,' and they say it had some strange side effects with some of its early users. Other than that… No."

"Well then, I'll see you all in two days."

~X~

Rorschach was quite unimpressed with the Avengers hideout. IT was almost identical to Daniel's warehouse; however, there was no giant aircraft or five foot stacks of useless papers. Troy and Suzie had dragged him there, basically forcing him to go on patrol with them. Of course he agreed, but warned them to give him his space. The warehouse had been fitted with a small kitchen-like area with an eating bar that from the kitchen overlooked a couch, TV and coffee table. Almost the perfect teen hangout.

Two people sat on the couch watching the news, as if creating a mental criminal shopping list. The boy looked up, and smiled as he saw Suzie and troy part, heading to get their costumes. "'Bout time you showed up. What went down, girl? I heard someone held up the match looking' for ya'." He said. He was darker skinned and had his hair braided in tight cornrows. He had on a black sweatshirt, but two black tattoo bands could be seen wrapping around his neck. His grey eyes pierced through Rorschach's mask, but didn't see anything beneath.

"So Catharine wasn't lying. He is in our time." He got off the couch and walked over, sticking out his hand.

"I'm Apparition; you can call me Tyler though. You were my inspiration for cleaning up filth." He said as Rorschach took his hand and shook it.

"Not much of a costume." The older vigilante remarked. Tyler smirked, and then pulled up his hood. A cloth hung down over his face, and after zippering it to the rest of the hood, none of the boy could be seen.

Rorschach 'hurmed' and Troy and Suzie returned, fully dressed in their 'Night Attire.' Catharine got up from the couch, she already had her mask on, and Rorschach looked in disgust as he noticed how much her outfit looked like the Silk Specter II's. It was a yellow and black latex shirt with black tights and leather boots. She already had her mask on, but he could see her dark brown eyes.

Apparition moved into an adjoining room, returning quickly with a wooden staff in his right hand and a big black bird sitting on a leather pad strapped to his left shoulder. It looked at Rorschach with wide yellow eyes and cawed, flexing its wings.

Apparition turned his head to the bird, "Quiet Krav, save it for the criminals."

Silver Fox opened one of the hidden doors leading to the streets. Each one slipped out respectively, pausing to receive orders from Phoenix. Suzie reclosed the door, and it appeared to disappear into the wall. Phoenix pointed to Hornet, Suzie's sister. "Head up towards Time Square, keep an eye on things and around midnight head uptown. Apparition, take Rorschach with you and head over to the park. It's a stretch, but there have been reports of dealings of all sorts there. Fox and I'll head to the docks."

Rorschach began walking, he knew his way, and this part of New York wasn't much different from how it was in 1985. Apparition quickly followed with his staff parallel to the ground.

Phoenix was right, it was a walk on the longer side, but they arrived to the park at around 11:30. They kept to the few trees ass several people passed through on late night walks. A couple sat on a bench, deep in a passionate kiss. Rorschach scoffed, he didn't see much to love. He looked to the path where two boys stood, they were talking, and the one began to look agitated.

"The meeting is tomorrow! You-" Was all he could hear from the agitated one. The boy ran a hand through his hair and rested his head on the light post they were by. He looked around, and then pulled a syringe from his coat pocket.

Behind his face shield, Apparition's eyes widened. He lifted his shoulder and Krav took off in the direction of the two, landing but ten feet away. They looked at it, and their faces turned pale. They looked at each other as Apparition began to run across the clearing, Rorschach close on his heels. The two began to run, but Krav had taken off as well, clawing at the one with the syringe's back. He yelped and fell as apparition caught up to him.

Krav returned to his shoulder, and Apparition brought the staff down across the back of the boy's neck.

"Bad night to be dealing, bud." He said, looking in the boys pockets for the drug. He didn't find it. _Shit, he must have handed it off… _He thought, pressing harder on the staff. "Where's your friend heading?" he asked.

The boy stuttered, and then appeared to pass out. Apparition gave an exasperated sigh and checked the kids pulse. It was low, but he was alive. He picked the boy up, leaning him against the post and used a spare pair of hand cuffs to keep him there until the police came. As the vigilante got a better look at the boy, he noticed that it wasn't a kid; he could have easily been in his mid thirties.

Apparition shook his head, and then took off, attempting to follow Rorschach and the other boy. Krav flew ahead, guiding the young man.


	9. Chapter 9

****

A/n~ Yay for an update! We're going to learn a little more about Catharine and Suzie's past in this one. I'm going to be doing a little bit of this in each chapter, peppering their history little by little. Anywho, all the usual, I don't own Watchmen, Rorschach, or any other publicly recognisable characters. HOWEVER, I do own all characters that are not publicaly recognisably(ie. Silver Fox, Phoenix, etc.) PLEASE comment and critique, I love it when all of you do. You guys are really wonderful~

There are drug references in this, so be warned. I don't think its enough to move to M though.

As always, read,enjoy, and review

~Raven

* * *

**Wednesday, The night of Rorschach's appearance**

Underboss stood next to the only window in the warehouse, looking out into the darkness through the bullet-proof glass. Outside, the gentle waves crashed against the dock posts, sending up a mist into the night air. As the older man looked harder though-as his eyesight was failing him- he noticed the shadows moving, changing, and eventually he could trace the outline of two men, most likely Nick and Nate. One of his bodyguards moved to the door as the older man himself took to his seat at the end of the table.

Nick and Nate entered, sitting down next to each other, something the Underboss hated. He was always getting the two of them confused as it was. After a few minutes, Katie arrived, her hair tied back in a knot and here silver eyes were narrowed dangerously. She took her place and the underboss sat up, clicking a button beneath the table that turned on the room's overhead light.

The Underboss let out a laugh as he caught sight of Nick. Just as predicted, the black haired male's face was riddled with acne, and stubble had begun to form on his face. "Enough proof for you? Unless I take the serum within four days, I'll go back to being twenty-ish again." He covered his mouth and his cheeks flushed as his voice cracked towards the end of his speaking. He glared at Nate, silently telling him to go on speaking.

Nate smirked at his partner in crime, and then turned to the underboss. "We could get to be about thirty in…" He looked up, counting on his fingers, "two weeks. Give or take a little. You could personally cut the Phoenix's throat without even breaking a sweat catching him. This stuff makes you stronger and gives you more stamina too. Twice as strong as a body builder, but without the appearance of one, throwing off anyone."

The underboss leaned his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together. For a moment, the two boys looked at each other, the message clear between them: _He's going to kill us if it doesn't work._ They knew the elder man was not one to joke around much, and their death would be eminent if something went wrong.

He looked up, a smirk crossing his wrinkled face. "Fine, but you better not mess up any of our current plans with this." He stated, a stern look crossing his face.

The boys nodded, and Katie rolled her eyes. _Way to kiss ass guys. _She thought, folding her arms.

Nate pulled a syringe with the dark blue liquid in it and handed it to Underboss. The old man nodded, inspecting it and then pocketing it. "Thanks. I'll need you to bring me more, since I have no clue how to get them, and I rarely leave here anymore. How often will I need one?"He asked, his gaze resting on Nick.

Nick gave him a nervous look before speaking. "For the quickest change, you'll need one dose of the serum every two days. Well bring it to you."

The underboss nodded, than looked at the three individually. "Dismissed, but Katie, stay here."

Nate and nick got up to leave, leaving the girl and the old man alone. "They're up to something, I can feel it. I'm not sure what it is." Katie mused, leaning back in her chair.

Underboss chuckled, nodding in agreement. "But if this works, I really don't give a damn what they do, so long as it doesn't involve me. Revenge is at the top of my list right now."

"So, you need to talk to me?"

The Underboss's dark brown eyes met with Katie's silver ones. "I think I've gotten a lead on the Silver Fox. There's word that there's a girl who skates for the Black Rose City Bashers, who got into a fight with another girl from a different team. She seemed to pull back her lips when she was speaking, showing her canine teeth. They sat that the Fox does that too. It may be nothing, but there aren't many girls who do that. I didn't get a name but, I know you can handle it."

Katie clasped her hands together. "My sister plays against them in two days; I'll go then to find her. Maybe I'll get lucky." She smirked, standing up. "I'll do my best to make that girl suffer. See you in two days."

**Friday**

By the time Apparition and Krav Had made it to the elder vigilante, he had pinned down the boy with the syringe. The boys' arms were pinned to the ground and his face was contorted to that of pain. Apparition assumed that one of his ribs were either cracked or broken.

The criminal looked up fearfully at the swirling white and black mask, panic spreading through him at what Katie had said earlier that night. _He really is back…_

Rorschach lowered his head to the boys' his raspy breathing hot on the criminals face. "Buying drugs, very illegal. Where is it?"

The boys' face turned to shock, then amusment. He began a nervous laugh. "You want it? Then come and get me…" He trailed off as the syringe appeared in his hand, and shadows began sweeping over him like fog.

Rorschach jumped off the boy in surprise, staggering back. Apparition cocked his head to the side, causing Krav to take off. The bird landed was the boy was, and the shadows parted, revealing just grass beneath him. Krav cawed agitatedly, scratching at the ground and wondering where his prey had gone off to.

Apparition kneeled down, running his hand over the spot where the boy had lain. He examined his fingers, there wasn't anything on them, so it wasn't smoke or mist he disappeared into. He stood, Krav returning to his shoulder. "We need to tell the others of this." He said cautiously.

**~X~**

The docks were quiet and Suzie Was seeted on the end of one of the piers, looking out to the moon over the bay. Troy stood behind her a ways, watching her slender figure shift every so often. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, thinking of what to tell her.

He looked back to her, but she had gotten back up, and was walking to him. She had a slightly nervous look in her now yellow eyes. "Look," she started, a little uncomfortably, "I'm really sorry about whaat I said a while ago, that we shouldn't see each other anymore. I was—"

She was interrupted as Troy's lips met her own, kissing her comfortingly. "Its fine, does this mean you're my girl again?" He asked after breaking off.

Silver Fox nodded and smiled, wrapping her arms around Troy's neck and kissing him again. As he began to wrap his arms around her waist, a chime went off in Suzie's beg and Troy's ears. He pressed the side panel of his glasses, and a Picture of Apparition came up.

"What is it Tyler?" the Phoenix asked, slightly irritated at the interruption.

"Something's up. This kid we caught just disappeared into shadows. So did the one I chained to the light post. There's nothing left of them." The darker teen said softly.

Troy rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, sighing. "Stay there; keep an eye out for them if they come back or if anyone else comes by. We'll talk about it later tonight before we head home."

"Got it, Apparition out."

Phoenix pressed the side of his glasses again and turned back to Silver Fox. "We'd better move, Apparition is reporting some strange shit, even for New York.

As he explained what Tyler had told him, Suzie's eyes widened with wonder. "But, that's impossible…" she said disbelieving him.

The boy shook his head. "Not necessarily. There is a drug, created about two years ago, called the Water of Life. It makes the users younger and also has strange side effects, including temporarily immense strength, speed and stamina. I think the people that Apparition saw were users. It's not very widely trafficked though; they might be the head of the system for Water of Life."

Suzie nodded, thinking. "Something like that would be a hell of a lot of money. Getting it off the street would be good. Does anyone have a sample of this? It would be fantastic for medical study."

He shook his head. "It's only just been found, no one has gotten close enough to collect any for testing."

The girl smiled beneath her mask, "Then we'll be the first."

The rest of the night went by slowly, with only a few convicts caught and turned in. At the end of the night, the five met back at the hide out, all of them changing out of their costumes into more comfortable clothing but Rorschach. They gathered around the coffee table, each with a cup of coffee in their hands, again, except Rorschach.

The elder vigilante listened carefully as Troy explained about the syringe's contents. Rorschach 'hurmed' as the younger boy finished. "Remember the one who was mainly responsible for trafficking of KT-28, the Underboss. Drug was more known though, Underboss most likely dead. Someone else is in charge of this, possibly related to the underboss."

Catharine held up her hand, stopping Rorschach. "I caught a KT-28 seller about a week ago, claiming that the Underboss was still alive. He died of internal bleeding before I could get where he was out of him."

The ginger man scoffed. "Impossible, killed by Comedian years ago. Then again, thought to be dead more than once. Turned up alive." He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Suzie chimed in, doing her best to help out. "The last known hiding place of the underboss was the place you and Danny busted, no one ever found him after he was thought to be killed by the Comedian though. As you already know, overlords like that usually take abandoned warehouses or subway stations, sometimes boathouses. Tomorrow, we could begin searches of the ones we know of."

Rorschach nodded, than began towards the door that led to the subway tunnel that connected the Avengers hideout to Dan's. He would be staying there until he found an apartment to rent. "Time to get some sleep, need at least four hours."

Troy, Suzie, and Catharine got up, Suzie and her sister moving to the door that lead to the street and left with Troy following Walter and Tyler staying.

**~X~**

Catharine went to the front door of her grandmothers flat, quickly followed by Suzie who relocked the door. Their grandmother knew of their actions each night, but didn't mind at all. She often blessed them in the way she would have warriors back in her Native American tribe before they went off to battle. She was a medicine woman in her tribe, though she wasn't native to New York. She lived out west, as far away as possible from society. She had moved there when Suzie was just three and Catharine had just been born, her mother dying from childbirth. Their grandmother explained that she couldn't raise children here, and though her heart told her not to, she left her people.

A German shepherd raced down the stairs, waging his tail eagerly. Catharine patted his head as Suzie pushed past, moving to her room. Her grandmother greeted her at the top of the stairs, her cactus cane with feathers in her left hand supporting the now blind woman. "You're back early, did everything go okay?" She asked, pulling her granddaughter into a hug.

"Yeah, one of our members's suggested we turn in early. We had some things to discuss anyway."

"Well, then you better go get some sleep. I'll have breakfast for you two when you get up." The old woman said, heading back into her room. Before she closed the door, she poked her head out, "Machk, come." She called, and the dog raced up the stairs and entered her room. She turned her sightless eyes back to Suzie. "Good night, Honovi, Ayasha."

"G'night." The two sisters called, answering to their tribal names, Suzie's meaning 'strong deer' and Catharine's meaning 'little one.'

They moved to their separate rooms, shutting the doors behind them. Suzie changed into her pajamas and tossing the other ones into her hamper. She ran her hand over her dream-catcher before climbing into bed for the remainder of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: I UPDATED. With a filler chapter. . Please don't eat me for this, I promise I'll get to the ploty-goodness soon. Anywho, just a bit more about Suzie with a few of the others peppered in. Please read, enjoy, review, and don't stop PMing me telling tmy to get a move on with the next shapter. xD**

**Yours truely,**

**~Raven**

**PS: I dont own any of the song lyrics and if you can guess what the lyrics are from you get major brownie points. Also, happy late birthday to Aftermath!!**

* * *

Suzie woke the next morning to the smell of bacon. She turned to look at her night-stand clock, noticing that it was already 10:30. She sighed, forcing herself out of bed. The grabbed her work uniform, a black miniskirt and a red tank-top. She didn't exactly like it, but she put up with it.

Opening the door, the teenager trudged off to the bathroom. She growled as she could hear the music blaring from the closed door even from down the hall. _'Just great, Catharine is still in the shower.'_ She though, beginning to bang on the door.

"Hurry up! I, unlike some people, have to go to work today!" She yelled over the music. It really was a wonder that their grandmother wasn't deaf yet.

The younger girl opened the door, a sopping wet head poking out. "If you need to get in so bad, I'm out." She replied, going back in to turn the music down.

Suzie walked in the humid room, shutting the door and hanging her new clothes on one of the towel pegs. Catharine stood in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair as the next song began to play, a rather old one, but one both of them enjoyed.

_We're livin' in a repetition,_

_Content in the same old shtick again, _

_Now the routine's turnin' to a contention,_

_Like a production line goin' over and over and over roller coaster. _

The two stood with their backs together for the next part, pretending to have microphones in their hands as they sang along.

_Now I cannot speak, lost my voice._

_Speechless and redundant _

'_Cause 'I love you's' not enough,_

_I'm lost for words. _

A bit of a laughing fit ensued, as it was something they normally did whenever that song played. The song continued to play as Suzie undressed, stepping into the shower. She didn't mind her sister being there at all, she had gotten over self-consciousness years ago. Catharine announced that she was leaving after Suzie had started, leaving the Green Day playlist on and shutting the door behind her.

The elder of the siblings finished as quickly as she could. She hopped out and dried off as best she could before throwing on her uniform. Her hair was brushed into a pony tail and dark eye-shadow was applied to her eyelids. Again she sighed at the dark outfit, all this for just waitressing?

She emerged from the bathroom, immediately greeted by Machk's 'smiling' face. She let out a laugh as she patted the dogs head, walking to the stairs. In the kitchen, Catharine had helped the elder woman get the food off the stove and onto the plates. They sat down, discussing nothing in particular as they ate. Suzie scraped the rest of her eggs into Machk's happily awaiting mouth and stood, placing her dishes in the sink before heading out to the foyer. She threw on a dark trench coat before heading out the door.

It was a short walk to the café and restaurant where she worked, named "Just a Cup of Tea." As she pushed entered, she was forced o blink few times, the interior was dark, as it always was, and her eyes couldn't adjust that quickly.

Suzie went back to the kitchen, punching her card and putting her coat in her employee cubby. Another girl in similar attire with chestnut-colored hair emerged from the other side of the kitchen, embracing Suzie in a hug. "Hey! Glad to see you look well rested!"

The brunet laughed, hugging the girl back. "What's on for today, Em?" she asked, calling the girl by one of her many nicknames.

Emily winked back at her. "The band wants you to sing first at noon. They're setting up now if you wanna pick your ten.

Suzie gave a small shocked look, having never been the first to sing. At the café, that mostly catered to teenagers and college students, the waiters and waitresses would often sing for the band in order to save money for the restaurant, earn extra tips for themselves, and show off some of their skills. That was one of the job requirements, 'you must be able to sing.' And thus, they always had one extra waiter, to take the place of the one singing. She simply nodded, moving gently past her friend to seek out the lead guitarist.

He was behind the eating bar, helping himself to a cup of coffee as he normally did in the mornings. He turned, taking a sip from the grey mug and smiling at the sight of the girl. He put the mug down and wiped off his mouth, leaning with one arm on the counter. "Good morning, got your list ready?" He asked, adjusting his black glasses.

She smiled back, nodding. She began to relay a list of songs that she wanted to perform. For one or two of the songs, the guitarist shook his head, claiming that the band didn't have that one down yet. Suzie would just shrug and offer another song. Once she was done, he got out a pad and paper and wrote down what she had selected. "Hey, Evan, why did you want me to go first today?" she asked, eyeing the taller teenager curiously.

He looked away and shrugged, going off to the platform where the band was setting up and sharing the list with them. Suzie eyed the clock; it was almost 11:30, opening time. She stayed behind the counter, as it would be her position until she went on stage.

--

Troy was proud of himself that he managed to get Walter to go to get a bite to eat with him, and as a bonus, managed to find Tyler and talk him into it as well. It wasn't that hard when anyone BUT Tyler was paying. Troy didn't mind, his father had given him the money for lunch anyway.

The three entered the dark restaurant as the music died, and the occupants began to cheer for the band and singer. Emily waved Troy over to the booth she was standing at, right in front of the stage. She already had three menus for them and was laying them out as they took their seats. Tyler smiled at her, causing the younger girl to blush a little as she scurried away.

A grouchy Walter flipped through the menu, deciding that he wasn't hungry.

The be-speckled boy turned to the stage, his eyes growing wide at the sight of Suzie there as the band began the next song. It was an eerie tune that erupted into a guitar solo. The girl behind the mike closed her eyes as she took hold of the stand and began her act.

_Perfect by nature, _

_Icons of self-indulgence,_

_Just what we all need,_

_More lies about a world that_

_Never was and never will be,_

_Have you no shame? Don't you see me?_

_You know you've got everybody fooled._

_Look, here she comes now, _

_Bow down and stare in wonder,_

_Oh how we love you,_

_No flaws when you're pretending._

_But now I know she never was and never will be,_

_You don't know how you've betrayed me, _

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled._

_Without the mask,_

_Where will you hide?_

_I can't find yourself, _

_Lost in your lie_

_I know the truth now,_

_I know who you are,_

_And I don't love you anymore_

_It never was and never will be,_

_You don't know how you've betrayed me,_

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled._

_It never was and never will be,_

_You're not real and you can't save me,_

_And somehow now you're everybody's fool._

Instantly troy could see the hidden meaning behind the lyrics. He knew the reason that Suzie sang that song. It was to remind herself of who she really was. When people saw the Fox, they didn't see the girl, just the icon. They saw a beautiful, powerful, and perfect figure that would save them. In reality, it was just a masquerade. The Fox couldn't save Suzie, and was barely even real other than an alter ego of Suzie's, as the last lines suggested.

The crowd erupted into cheering again, and Troy gave a loud whistle as Suzie bowed and ran over to their booth. Her dark-tan face was tinted red from the attention as she leaned in for a peck on the lips from Troy.

Walter gave a look of disgust at the couple, but slid over, allowing the girl to sit next to him as Tyler was on the same side as Troy.

"I've got a few minutes before my shift starts, if there's anything we need to talk about."She said, folding her arms on the table.

Tyler nodded, leaning on one elbow. "Those kids just disappeared last night. Are you sure the juce they've got can do that?" he asked, the question directed at the teen next to him.

Troy nodded, recalling a past experience, "The last person I caught that was on it did something similar, only he could run at about twenty miles per hour."

Walter scoffed at this, but said nothing as the other three turned to him.

From a distance, Suzie could hear her manager complaining to Emily that work had to get done, and the brunet knew her break was over. She got up, leaving the other three to ponder the matter without her.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: Holy crap I must be ill, updating twice (almost) within a week. AND THE PLOT THICKENS. A little, this is going to have more chapters than I intended, and at the rate I'm updating... Well, lets just not think about that. But I have made it my goal to finish this before the year is out. Though there's no garunte on that. Anywho, I might be redoing some of my earlier chapters, tweaking things here and there or even scrapping the whole damn chapter for something twice as good. If I do, I'll let ya know whats going on.**

**But for right now, read and review please.=3**

**~Raven**

* * *

Night had begun to fall on that Saturday evening, and Suzie was just arriving at the warehouse with Catherine close behind her. They split off, going to their own little areas to prepare for the night. They were basically mini-bathrooms, containing a mirror, shower and sink. Suzie closed the door to her own, pressing one of the white tiles next to the sink.

As a result, a panel came out of the wall next to the tile. The brunet bulled the panel, revealing it to be a drawer, containing her suit and equipment. She shed her clothes, leaving herself in just her undergarments before the full-sized mirror. Her gnarled scar stood out on her body, the only real blemish on her sleek waist and a reminder of what could happen if one wasn't careful. She pulled on the fabric pants and leather top, smoothing out the ruffles in each. They may not have seemed like much protection, but she didn't worry about that. She adapted to it.

Good protection meant heavy armor. Heavy armor meant limited mobility. Limited mobility meant possible kidnapping or death. Light protection meant easy movement, meaning a less likely chance of getting captured. Where the likelihood of being shot or stabbed came, practice and readiness followed. She had improved her reflexes to stopping a bullet with her swords.

It wasn't an easy task, only being able to do it after much practice with knives and only having been shot at without warning. The reflex was quick, and the results were great but surprising.

She pulled her hair back into the usual bun, taking care to tie it tightly at the base, but to leave the ends loose. She took a small contact container from the drawer, opening it and putting in the two tallow contacts in her eyes. After blinking a little, she continued, pulling the black belt through the loops on her pants, stopping every now and again to string on an item. She pulled out a silver box, opening it and applying the silver contents around her eyes.

She was ready now, but she didn't put on her mask, she would wait until they went out for that. She grabbed it and went back out into the larger room, finding Troy, Rorschach, and Tyler waiting for her and her sister.

--

The gentle crashing of waves could be heard from the front door of the warehouse. Nick and Nate had been there for a few minutes now, knocking on the door every so often and growing cold. Nick was about to slam his fist against the heavy metal door for the last time when a man opened the door, leaving the bolt-lock in place.

"What?" he asked clearly agitated.

Nick backed up a little. "Uh… We need to see the Boss. We've got his meds." The scrawny man held up the syringe as he spoke, hoping it would convince the bouncer to let them in.

The large man sighed, but opened the bolt and let them in anyway. He led them to the room where they had been before, the Underboss with an annoyed look on his face, but it brightened a little upon seeing the two boys.

Instantly they noticed that he looked a little younger. His hair was beginning to grow all over his head again, though still all grey. They sat down, nervously contemplating their boss's possible new strengths.

He just glared at them for a few moments before Katie entered, still wrapped up from the fight at the roller rink. However, in her arms was a large black shape. It growled, looking around with bright yellow eyes.

Nate yelped at the sound, as Katie had entered noiselessly. This caused the Underboss to laugh, his voice also beginning to sound better.

As Katie sat down, she set the black bundle on the table and it uncurled, revealing itself to be a young black panther. She smiled as the cat stretched, walking towards the boys and causing the table to creak.

The Underboss recovered from laughing to give a good look at the panther, who Nate was currently cowering from. He had a bad experience with a cat, and never liked them since. "I see you like me present." The elder man mused, holding out his hand as the black cat padded over to him next, leaving Nick and Nate be.

"Sekhmet is from you? Yes, she's fantastic, I've always wanted a guardian animal." The young girl said, patting her hand against the table and drawing the cat back to her. Sekhmet happily settled back on her new owners lap, letting out a little purr.

The underboss folded his hands and glared at Nate and Nick. "Something tells me my 'medication' isn't the only reason you came here. What do you want?" He asked, trying to keep his expression as calm as possible.

Nate, who was now brushing off his shirt in an attempt to regain his composure, spoke first. "Well, we uh, had a bit of a problem last night. Katie is right, Rorschach is back. Had it not been for the Water of Life, by ribs would still be broken from where his foot landed on my chest."

The Underboss couldn't help but give a snort of laughter, and allowing a small smile appear on his face. "And you lived to tell the tail? Impressive, how did you two get away?"

Nick held up his hand, and slowly, it turned to smoke and began to dissipate. Then, as soon as it was gone, it came back, all of the tiny tendrils of smoke going back into his hand. The elder man's eyes widened a little before he held his hands out, as if to say, _And how did this come about?_

Nick gave a smirk, tucking his hands back into his hoodie pocket. "Another wonderful side effect of the Water of Life." He simply said.

Sekhmet growled again shifting on Katie's lap. The panther received a comforting ear-stroke as her master began to talk. "So you're a modern-day Houdini, good for you. Is that seriously why you brought us here?"

Nick sighed and shook his head. "The Avengers won't be easy to take out. We've called some… Experts."

The underboss paused. "Experts? Like who?"

Nick simply gave another smirk as he pulled his hands from his pockets and folded them.

--

Troy had dealt out the assignments like usual, switching who went out alone. It was Suzie's turn this night, and as she sat on the edge if a flat in closer to Dan's house, she didn't regret it. Nights alone allowed her to clear her head before facing what was out there.

The murderous truth of what Adrian's 'Utopia' really was. She recalled finding the news paper depicting the gient crater that suddenly appeared in the middle of Manhattan.

_--_

_The old newspaper was beginning to yellow, but the picture was clear as day. Right were several city blocks of cars, buildings and people should be was a huge crater. Suzie definitely didn't recall that during her tour of New York City. Dan was walking over to her, holding out a glass of water to her. His face darkened when he saw what she was holding._

"_What happened?" she asked as she began to shake. She had only heard that New York had undergone some major renovations, nothing like this._

_Dan couldn't have looked more nervous. "W—well," he sighed, digging for the answer he was told to give. "A bomb went off, one caused by Dr. Manhattan. You know him right?" _

_Suzie nodded, sifting through what Dan was telling her. Something wasn't right._

"_Well, he put them all over the world, in an attempt at wiping us out—"_

"_Bullshit, Jon pitied humanity. Just tell her what really happened, damn it! She deserves to know."Laurie's voce cut in, causing Dan to turn._

_He made a frustrated face, but sighed, and began accounting to Suzie what had really happened. He didn't care about what Adrian said. If this girl was to be the future defender of this city, she had a right to know._

_As he finished, Suzie scoffed. "Bastard, killing an eighth of New York just to make the world a better place. I wonder if he even thought this could happen."_

--

The Silver Fox brought her mind back to the present, standing up on the ledge. She began walking along the concrete, not really concentrating on the height or where her next footfall would land. She found that actually made her balance worse. She broke into a run, clearing the gap between that and another building.

Her pace went back to normal as she stared out towards the more popular section of New York. Broadway lights were blinking and she could hear the faint sound of several cab horns honking at once. She didn't visit that district much. Preferring to keep to the less lit areas where the occasional star could be seen.

It was nothing like her old home, and though she only remembered a little, she held to that dearly. She could remember the night sky on a moonless night, when she thought she could see every star that was out there.

A tear formed in her eye as she thought about her mother; a beautiful woman who died during her sister's birth. It wasn't too long after that that they had actually moved to New York with their grandmother.

A scream broke Suzie's train of thought, and she stopped, leaning the side of her head to the street in order to hear where it came from. The cry sounded again, and it was more pained this time. The Silver Fox acted fast, jumping from the ledge and grabbing a limb of one of the trees that lined the streets. Sprinting across the already deserted street, she made her way to the ally where the scream came from.

She was to late however, and was only greeted by a twisted smiling face adorned with white makeup and topped with long locks of messy green hair.

* * *

**A/n: Flame me all you want for that last sentance, those who know, but its part of the plot. ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: Again, moving forward with the plot. things are going to get a little hectic here, so seatbelts might be needed. Anywho, thank you ever so much to all my loyal readers and reviewers, I love you guys a lot. :) **

**I do not own any Watchmen characters nor the Joker, they belong to their respective owners. I DO however, own all other characters (Silver Fox, Hornet, Etc.)**

**I'm also throwing in a warning for the "f" word and a little bit of gore. **

**Please read, review and enjoy!**

**~Raven**

* * *

"The Joker? What are you doing so far away from Gotham?" Fox asked, sliding her still sheathed swords from their holsters. At the moment, the sheaths were locked on, and could only come off if properly done so.

The Joker began a maniacal giggle, falling backwards a little. His bare feet tripped over the woman's body and he laughed louder as the woman let out a pained moan. She had an almost comically wide smile and was frozen stiff.

Fox cocked an eyebrow, and remained in her stance as the man stood back up, recovering from his fit.

He rubbed a finger under his eye, as if to wipe away a tear. His red eyes glared as her and his smile widened even more, if that was even possible. "Batsy needed a break, and I've got a good deal with some of the clowns on this side of the circus." His deep voice echoed through the ally. He moved a tad closer, his eye's narrowing and his expression becoming more devious. "They didn't inform me that the card I was after was the queen of hearts though."

The Silver Fox blushed beneath her mask and growled, faking left with her left sword and bringing the other up, causing it to make powerful contact with the Jokers groin. He laughed even more as he doubled over, a tear really slipping from his eye this time.

The sheath of one of the swords clicked off, being quickly kicked away so it was out of the Joker's reach. He attempted to stand up, but was prevented by the blade now being pressed to the bottom of his chin.

"I want a real answer, why have you come so far?" Suzie narrowed her eyes, her gaze never leaving the man in front of her.

The Joker frowned, something the young girl thought impossible. "You seem to be playing with fewer cards than me. You're the reason I'm here!" He cackled, flipping back and out of the swords way, his purple sleeves trailing behind like ribbon. He held up his left hand as he landed, his sleeve falling and showing his pale hand holding a short, red and yellow pole. It opened and clicked, revealing itself to be an oversized pogo stick.

_Shit. _Suzie thought as the Joker hopped on and bounced straight at her. As quickly as she could, she back-flipped, narrowly missing the rubber bottom of the pogo stick. She landed on all fours, turning around in time to see the pale man had done the same, and was headed straight for her again. She took her katana in her teeth, jumping forward landing on all fours again.

As she stood, the joker gave a slightly frustrated look, but it swiftly went back to a maniacal smile. In a flash of smoke, the pogo stick vanished, leaving Fox confused as she began to feel dizzy and fall. The last thing she remembered was a pair of arms, gently laying her on the ground.

Troy stood on the same roof that Suzie had been on before approaching the Joker, and he had witnessed their fight. His eyes widened and a growl grew in his throat as he saw the Joker rush forward after causing Fox to pass out, catching her before she fell.

His glasses magnified, and he could see a look of mischief on the pale man's face. He jumped, spreading his arms and gliding across the street. He stopped just in front of the Joker who was now standing, his long purple sleeves blowing in the breeze.

The Phoenix's fists tightened as he shifted to a defensive stance. "I swear, if you've done anything to hurt her I'll—"

The Joker held up a hand. "Relax; they want her alive and for the most part unharmed." He scowled, "At least they're giving me extra for this." He muttered.

The Phoenix scoffed. "What could you possibly want, other than Gotham in the palm of your hand?"

The Joker laughed and shook his head. "So much to learn, too bad you don't have much time to learn anything." He sprang forward, his foot colliding with the boy's chest.

Troy gasped, all of the air leaving his chest as he fell to the ground. The joker walked over and bent down to him. "I don't know why, but I thought you'd be more of a challenge." He sneered.

The younger boy growled, kicking Joker off balance and standing back up. He had taken worse blows. He lashed out, only to have his fist caught, and his arm twisted. The vigilante let out a pained noise, but regained himself, and threw another kick to the Joker's side.

The pale man was not lucky enough to catch this blow, and was thrown into the wall. He knelt down, panting, and looked up at the teen before him. "Well, it's been great, kid, it _really_ has. But you friend and I have somewhere to be. Toodles!"

The Joker threw a purple ball to the ground, and it exploded into a green cloud of smoke. Troy began to cough madly at this, and his eyes watered. As the smoke began to clear, he could see that the alleyway was empty. He growled, screaming in anger as he slammed his fist into the brick of the alley's wall. He cradled his hand and glanced at the new indentation in the wall before pushing himself to his feet.

He wasn't resting until he found Suzie. _It's gonna be a long night…_ he thought.

The underboss was clearly mad; his face was turning redder by the minute as he contemplated what to yell at the boys. They had just informed him who they hired. Katie protectively covered Sekhmet's ears when the elder man looked up.

"You're telling me…" his voice was strained, trying his best to hold back his rage, "That you hired the fucking joker?" He lost it with the last few words, slamming his hand onto the table and glaring at Nick and Nate.

Nate was presently cowering in his chair, so nick took the opportunity to explain their actions. "The Joker has some interesting influences on people. And, we had an idea that he could tear apart the Avenges from the inside out. He's going to…"

Suzie's head began to clear, and she opened her eyes slowly and cautiously. Instantly she was greeted by the smiling face of the Joker. He frowned though, as he got a better look at her. "I don't think you're the right one…"

The Fox cocked an eyebrow. _What does he mean?_ She asked herself, shuffling uneasily beneath the clown.

He held up one of her swords against her throat, pressing almost hard enough to draw blood. "Where is the Hornet?" He growled, lowering his face.

Suzie flinched a little at the smell of the man's breath, but knew she would have to comply. _Forgive me sweetheart. _

Just a Cup of Tea was beginning to close for the night, and Emily was busily putting dishes and cups away behind the bar, preparing herself if any stragglers happened to waltz in two minutes before closing. Evan walked up behind her, grabbing her empty left hand and spinning her around, beginning a slow dance to the sound of silence with her.

Emily giggled, setting down the mug that was in her other hand so it could find its way to Evan's shoulder. A few blocks away, tires could be heard screeching along the pavement. Evan stopped, turning to look out the window. "Interesting." He murmured before beginning the dance again.

The action was short lived, though, as the sound became louder and was accompanied by a horn honking. Then everything went quiet before the world seemed to slow as a purple and orange van hurtled up onto the curb and into the front window of the tea shop. The few people there screamed and the two behind the counter ducked for safety.

The side door flung open and a clown came out, wielding what appeared to be a water-gun. "You're quite elusive tonight, Hornet!" He screamed before firing the gun directly at the two teens. Instead of liquid, a pink gas came from the weapon, causing everyone in the room other than the joker to begin to gag.

Emily held her sleeve over her nose as she reached for the revolver behind the counter and safely tucked away beneath the cabinets. Keeping the cloth over her nose, but coughing now, Emily pointed the gun at the clown's chest. "Sorry, but you've got the wrong girl, asshole."

She fired, and narrowly missed the clown who now scowled dangerously. "Be careful with guns," He pulled out a revolver of his own, and Emily fell back behind the counter, watching from a small hole, "Someone could get hurt!" He pulled the trigger, and a flag popped out with a wad of confetti.

Emily had been ready for the searing pain somewhere in her body, but was surprised when none came. She growled, clenching her hand around the revolver and stood up completely, aiming straight at the Joker again. "Quit fucking with me and my friends!" She screamed as she fired several shots. The Joker simply continued smiling as he stood there unscathed. The girls eyes widened, and she became more fearful now, however, as the revolver clicked empty.

The clown held his own gun up again, the flag still pointing out. "Surprise!" He shouted, and the flag shot out, the tip becoming pointed and embedding itself deep within Emily's chest.

Blood spattered from her mouth and her hands went to what was still hanging out of the flag. A pained and soft cry escaped her lips as she crumbled to the ground.

The soft sound of glass crunching against the floor could be heard behind the Joker's van. He turned around, the gun aiming at the barely visible black figure of the Hornet. "She was right you know, you shouldn't mess with us."

In a swift movement, she charged the joker, bringing her arm back for a punch as she neared. A tight grip met her neck, however, and she was unable to attack. "So, Miss Fox lied to us, did she? Tsk tsk tsk. I should have known better." He muttered in her face before throwing her into the open back of the van carelessly and hopping in after to keep her from going anywhere.

Evan could only watch helplessly as the Hornet was knocked out and the odd colored van drove off. With his girl now murdered and the place where he for the most part made his living destroyed, he just sat back against the counter as the poison now in his blood began to slowly kill him.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n: I have no excuse for not putting this up... [/shot] Anywho, I had some fun with this one. Please read and review and thank you to everyone who already have on past chapters! -hugs readers-**

**~Raven  
**

* * *

Rorschach growled as the Phoenix returned from what he at first claimed to be a 'piss break.' The younger boy had a fierce expression, and his hands were balled into fists. Beneath his mask, the ginger cocked an eyebrow. "Bad break?" he asked bluntly.

Troy just glanced him over before beginning to walk pack and forth, pondering. "No, sorry. I didn't even do that, I do what I do most nights when I'm not with Fox. I check on her. She's figured that out by now though, I do it for all of the members I send out alone. She… She was kidnapped."

At this, Rorschach turned swiftly, and the black splotches on his white mask swirled angrily. "By who?"

The boy in orange shook his head, "You won't know him. He's a newer criminal called the Joker. But," he shook his head again, as if to clear a fog. "He said that 'they' want her alive. I've never heard of the joker working for someone before, not even for another villain. He only ever has his goons and Harley."

Rorschach turned his head to the side. "Harley?"

Troy laughed, "Yeah, Harley Quinn. Formerly Dr. Harleen Quinzel. I've read a whole file about her, even ran into her once. But this is more serious, we need to find out what he—they—are going to do with Fox."

The elder man nodded, and began off to the side of the building to begin scaling down it.

Suzie's head ached terribly as she began to come to, half expecting the joker to be right on top of her again. But something was strange, she could see the sky. Grass tickled her half bare back and she realized that she was no longer with the joker.

'_Strange,'_ She thought as she got up, feeling the weight of her swords as well as her pack. _'It's almost as if none of that happened…'_She knew that wasn't true, she smell of his breath still lingered in her nostrils and she had no idea where she was. She stood, turning to the nearest fire escape and climbing up as fast as she could. She noted that she wasn't as lost as she thought she was, and could see the roller rink. The masked girl decided it better to stay where she was rather than heading back yet. She sat, watching neon lights glimmer and blink against the hazy night sky, wishing she had a glass of tea.

The Hornet woke, rubbing her eyes as she tried to remember why she had passed out. The room was dark as she looked around, and lights began to flash on, showing clowns, jack-in-the-box's and other would be carnival attractions. A figure emerged from the shadows, red eyes gleaming dangerously.

"How was your nap?" he asked soothingly, kneeling down as he neared. "Dream about anything?"

She propped herself up, shaking her head. A surprised look crossed her face as she noticed the familiar feeling of a mask on her face was gone. She snarled, "What do you want?"

When she moved to stand the Joker shoved her back down. He held a hand to his chin and pondered what he had done. He closed his eyes and shrugged before standing up and helping her up as well.

The Hornet instinctively went into a defensive position. The clown laughed at this. "I know you don't want to hurt me. I'm just here to help."

Her stance weakened at this, and she gave him a questioning look. "And how exactly are you going to help me?" She asked.

He smiled even wider. "I know you're not happy with who you are." he said, his deep voice just barely above a whisper. Catherine's eyes widened and she looked down.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, lowering her guard completely. He no longer seemed like a threat to her, and if he tried anything, he would be sure to hear about it.

He frowned, "Apparently not, otherwise your sister would have noticed it too." Her eyes widened and the clown nodded. "That's right; I know the Silver Fox is your sister. I know quite a bit about you two." He walked over to a table, picking up two manila envelopes. "You see, I have my resources, just like you might. It seems you moved here only a year after you were born with your sister and grandmother." He noted as he flipped through one of the envelopes contents. He stopped and smiled at her. "It seems you were the one to give your sister that nasty scar. Nice work might I add."

The young girl looked away, both in shame and to hide her smile. She remembered that day well. It was two weeks after Suzie had decided that she was going to become the Silver Fox. A friend of hers had gotten the things she asked for: two identical katanas and many specially made throwing stats, neither of which was cheap. Her grandmother had helped pay for all of it, and Catherine even gave her some of her own money. She herself, however, could not come up with enough to get some of the items she wanted. She was fine with this, but became infuriated when Suzie was allowed to take fighting classes and strength courses. Since the broken family couldn't afford sending the both of them there, Suzie taught Catherine what she learned. Of course, the younger girl was never as good as her sister.

About three months after, they were sitting on a rooftop during one of their first patrols together. They had gotten into an argument with Suzie's last statement being, "Well if you weren't born, mom wouldn't have died!" The older girls hand quickly covered her mouth in regret. She and her grandmother had tried their best to keep that fact a secret from the young girl, as they feared it would cause the already short tempered girl to go into a rage. And it did.

Catherine had launched herself at her sister; clawing at her face and doing her best do kick and punch the apology out. Eventually, Fox got the upper hand, shoving off her sister and drawing one of her swords. "Don't make me do anything!" She warned, telling herself, though, no matter what it came to she wouldn't hurt the young girl. Hornet snarled, kicking the sword out of her sisters loose grip and took it into her own hand. The Silver Fox's eyes widened and she held her hand up to stop her sister but it was too late. Catherine had swung, the cut going from just under her sisters left breast to just above the right side of her hip.

Suzie fell, and Catherine got scared. She did what they had always planned to do if one of them needed medical attention. She removed her now sobbing and bleeding sister's mask weapons and tail, comforting her to the best of her ability. She then called for help and fled the scene. Suzie had stayed in the hospital for four days, as the doctors and nurses feared that she would rupture the many stitches that were put in place. Her doctor said it was a miracle there was no internal damage, but it had still been a serious wound.

"Yeah, so…" She muttered, doubting the clown had even heard her; he was flipping through the folder again. He pulled out a picture, and showed it to the young girl. Tears welled in her eyes as she reached out and took it. The picture showed Catherine giggling and standing next to a handsome young man who was smiling with an arm around her waist. She sat back down and curled into a ball, holding her knees and studying the picture with sad eyes.

The boy was her past boyfriend, James. They seemed to be made for each other, but apparently the Great Spirit had different plans. James was killed in an accident the Silver Fox had caused in pursuit of a grand theft auto. Catherine swore she would never forgive her sister for that.

"What's the point of all this?" she said, choking back more tears.

The Joker giggled wildly. "If I were you I would have done this already! I'm talking about revenge, darling." His voice lowered, and became more mischievous as he kneeled down next to her. "I can just _feel_ that hatred for your sister; why not take it to the next level?" He moved his mouth next to her ear, "An eye for an eye, she took who was closest to you, why not return the favor?" he sniggered as Catherine thought this over.

She imagined Troy screaming in agony, face twisted with pain, and slowly dying at her feet. She smiled at this, and the Joker did so as well. He leapt up, bringing over a clothing rack, and pulling her to her feet. "One can't exact revenge looking like a goodie goodie!" he gestured to the many different colorful outfits.

The vigilante flipped through some of the outfits, stopping at a light-brown one. It was a two-piece, a belly-shirt with a white front and brown back and baggy brown pants. On the hanger also hung a white and brown speckled scarf and a mask. The mask was gray with two little ears poking from the top. It cut off at just below the nose, but the sides tapered in a curve all the way to the bottom of her chin when she tried it on. Gold swirls adorned the sides, and an orange gem sat on the middle of the forehead, as if serving as the masks third-eye.

It gave the girl an Idea as well as a name. "I will be called Coyote, the Trickster." She mused, fingering the gem as she thought of a legend her grandmother told her once. She said it was a tribe's answer to how fire was first brought to the land, and that the Trickster or coyote was responsible. She turned to the clown and glared. Joker smiled and left as she changed into the new disguise.

When she finished, she approached one of the many mirrors hanging around the room. This one was the least distorted of them all, and she admired the outfit that clung to her in just the right spots to give her a slender appearance. She slipped on the snug brown shoes that were below the outfit and took a few steps in them. A perfect fit. She slipped on the mask and scarf last, taking a few steps back and crossing her arms, loving her new look. _This will definitely work. _She thought with a smile.

The Joker returned, and clasped his hands together as she turned to him. "You look fabulous! Now, how's about we go and try that outfit out?" He asked, his malicious smile returning. But Catherine shook her head.

"I'm going to lie low for the next few days. Make it look like you've kidnapped me."

Joker nodded, "Good plan. There is one thing though. An initiation if you will. One thing you must do to prove your loyalty before you are allowed to get your revenge."

She narrowed one eye as she looked at him. "And what's that?"

"You need to kill your grandmother."

* * *

**A/n D= I love suspense. D**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/n Straight up warning. Things get spicy, but nothing too over the top. And there's a bit of gore and a nice big helping of suspense~ I thought I'd get this up because I'll be away from my comp for the next week, so... ENJOY! :D**

**~Raven**

**P.S. THE END IS NIGH! For serious ladies and gents, only a few more chapters ;(  
**

* * *

For several days, nothing much happened. The newly named Coyote laid low, Rorschach kept to Dan's basement and the group went on patrol just about every night. Suzie and her grandmother kept watch for Catherine, but dared not call missing persons. Just as the dust had settled though, it was kicked up again, about a week after the kidnapping.

The old medicine woman sat sadly at her kitchen table, Machk resting his head thoughtfully at her feet. As Suzie came down from her room, she gave her a worried look. "What is it?" She asked, taking the chair across from her.

Dead eyes looked up to the new voice. She smiled, masking her sorrow. "It's nothing my dear."

The vigilante shook her head. "No, it's definitely something. Have you gotten a message?"

Her eyes became sad again. "Yes… It seems as though I will be called home soon."

Suzie's eyes widened. "When? Is it a sickness? Are you killed?"

Her grandmother let out a little laugh. "Calm down. Everyone is called home sooner or later, and it's my turn next. I've seen how, but it would break your heart to let you know."

A tear streaked down the young girls face, and she stayed home from school that day. The rest of the day was uneventful, Troy stopped by with homework and an unhappy Walter and Suzie had gone for a walk.

It was getting dark on her way back, and it was about halfway through that she had gotten a terrible feeling. She began to run, taking shortcuts and trying her best to get back before the streetlights came on.

She burst thru the door the moment she got home, calling out for her grandmother. She was answered by a chuckle. "I'm fine! You must quit worrying about me!" that familiar voice called back. Suzie sighed and took off her sweatshirt, walking into the next room to find her grandmother smiling up at her from the couch. Her head turned back to the TV that was showing the news. Flashes of images of a girl dressed in a skimpy brown outfit showed, while the news caster explained that there could possibly be a new villain.

Suzie didn't like the sound of this.

"So, you were the hornet?" the Underboss asked carefully. He still didn't trust her, even though the Joker, who had now gone back to Gotham, had broken through to her.

Catherine nodded, hardened eyes watching the speaking figure from beneath her new mask.

"You understand the terms of joining us?" he asked, though he was sure there was no need to. The lust for revenge shone brightly in these young girls eyes. One person would be a minor inconvenience for her.

She smiled and nodded again. "I've already got it planned." She said slyly a gloved hand tapping the table. "When can I go after them?"

The underbosses now young face leaned forward into the light. "Sooner than you think, sweetheart, sooner than you think."

The next morning, sunlight spilled into Suzie's room, bringing her out of a comfortable sleep. She got out of bed and stretched, making her way to the kitchen. She found her grandmother already there, looking blankly into the distance. The teenager smiled, greeting her and walked past to make herself some coffee.

She turned, however, and caught a glimpse of a glimmer on her grandmother back. A knife protruded there, dark red stains covering both it and the old woman's shirt. Suzie screamed, dropping the mug she had picked up and rushing to her. She checked for a pulse, but the woman was cold, long since dead.

With tears streaming down her face Suzie held her grandmother one last time before calling for an ambulance.

The police sent her away so they could process the crime scene, so Suzie walked to Troy's house. She held herself tightly as tears streamed down her face, stinging her eyes and making her vision blurry. She barely noticed it when she bumped into a news vendor who politely asked if she was okay.

She gave him a fake smile and nodded before continuing on her way. She approached the brick flat and hesitated before knocking on the door. Dan was home and opened the door with a warm smile upon seeing who it was, but it faded when the tears rolled faster down the young girls face. She lunged and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. He slowly stepped backwards, pulling them both into the flat and shutting the door.

Dan called for Troy after having Suzie settle herself on the couch and promising her a cup of tea. The teenage boy flew down the stairs, nearly taking out his father with tea in hand in the process. They both entered the living room to find the girl curled in a ball with a blanket surrounding her. She reached gratefully for the offered tea as she explained what had happened.

Troy had sat down next to her and she crawled in his lap, arms tightening around his waist as he stroked her shoulder, kissing her forehead.

Dan smiled a little and got up leave. Suzie sat quietly for a while mulling things over in her cozy seat. She shifted, wrapping her arms around Troy's neck instead. He understood, and picked her up bridal style and hating her to his room. He sat her on the bed, allowing her to curl into a ball while he closed the door. He sat down next to her, holding her chin so she could look at him.

Soft brown eyes met agitated grey ones, and he smiled. Cautiously, he kissed her upper lip. She kissed him back, and allowed him to slowly lower her on the bed as he held her hips.

"I must admit nice work." The Underboss smiled, looking at the pictures that had been printed out of the murder of Catherine's grandmother.

The Coyote shrugged a smug look on her face. "Can I kill them now?"

The man's smile grew wider. "Sure, but just one more condition."

She frowned. "What?"

He slid a picture of a young ginger over to her. It was Walter. "Kill him too."

Night had begun to fall then Suzie woke up. With a sleepy smile, she turned and wrapped her arm around Troy's bare chest. He let out a chuckle as he turned and returned the gesture, giving her a kiss as well. Slowly, they worked their way out of bed and back into their clothes. Dan was waiting for them downstairs, sitting with a cup of coffee in his hand and smug, knowing look on his face.

Suzie blushed and Troy attempted a weak smile, but his father waved it off. Troy simply pushed Suzie to the door and told her to wait for him at the base. Carefully, he sat down across from his dad, again tying to smile, knowing what was coming.

It was only a half hour after she arrived at the base that Troy walked in, a baseball cap pulled low over his face. Suzie gave him a strange look but allowed him to change. Rorschach quickly followed him, already suited up and ready to take on the evils of the night and Apparition had been waiting with Krav since before she had gotten there.

Once their leader had changed the crew left the warehouse for the bright streets of Manhattan. Phoenix went with Fox, claiming it was to keep an eye on her after what had happened the other night. Apparition simply rolled his eyes and Rorschach grunted, not exactly seeing what was going on.

The two groups didn't stray too far from each other, keeping within a distance that allowed for quick travel should something happen. And everyone felt that something would. Tension hung in the air like smoke clouding a room, and nothing could release it.

The Silver Fox had taken out her swords, slicing the air and practicing. It had been a slow night, and in a few minutes the sun would rise to a cloudless Saturday. She stood in a defensive position, looking out over the buildings and placing one of the tallest between her blades, slicing, and pretending it had caused the building's top to slide off and tumble to the ground. She smiled at this, but jumped a little when a rattling came from behind her.

Both the vigilante's heads turned quickly to the sound, but nothing was there. Troy stood, his fists rising. Another sound rang out, this time to their left, but again, nothing was there. Nothing happened for the next few minutes, and so they lowered their guard and turned back to the streets.

"Nice night isn't it?" the Coyote stood where their backs had been facing. Fox's face grew fierce, ready to attack if needed. The brown-clad girl moved stealthily back and forth, eyeing up her opponents. She shrugged and lunged herself at an unprepared Troy, easily throwing hum off balance and causing him to land on his back. She sat on him, doing her best to restrain him as she reached for a hunting knife in a holster next to that of a gun. She poised herself to stab him straight thru the chest, but was tackled off, the knife sent skittering across the concrete roof. The Silver Fox sent a punch to the villainesses jaw, causing her to howl in pain but was stopped short when her force was used against her, causing them to roll and the older of the two to have her back on the roof. The Coyote snarled and sent the side of her hand, palm up, sailing at the Fox's neck. The larger girl cried out and shuttered, unable to move.

A malicious grin formed on Coyote's face as she pulled out the revolver she had been given and took careful aim. Not at the heart, but at the lungs. She wanted her to die painfully while watching her lover do the same. The trigger pulled, but she was knocked off balance by a strong force, and the bullet embedded itself in her collarbone. A wail of pain rang out through the night, and was accompanied by another as the Coyote received several more blows from a very angry Phoenix.

Tears now streamed down the young girls face, and she looked around for an escape. He knife. It was only inches away and if she could get him off… A swift kick to the groin was all it took and the teenage boy curled helplessly into the fetal position. Coyote grabbed the knife and with a grin that rivaled even the Jokers, sent it deep into the boys arm, sailing through bone and causing an agonizing scream to ring out from him.

Satisfied now, she began to leave, stopped only by the cold pressure of a gloved hand around her throat.


End file.
